Dark Hearts
by Draven Star
Summary: AU. Another of my older stories, so it's not good and has some grammarspelling mistakes. Padmé becomes Vader's apprentice. Different from the first Dark Hearts, which was deleted.
1. Chapter One

:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
- Yes, I had another story called Dark Hearts where Padmé joins Vader and becomes his apprentice, but I deleted it. I decided to do it again, and this is a different version of it.  
  
Okay, PLEASE read this quick author's note, because it's REALLY annoying when you write an AU and people don't read your note/explanation, so they leave you a bad review about everything "wrong" in your story. Doesn't that get on your nerves? LOL, anyway, here's the main three things you need to know before you read it:  
  
- Vader is a few years older than Padmé in this story.  
  
- Padmé is Force-strong, of course, since she becomes Vader's apprentice.  
  
Thanks to all of you that read this :)  
  
- DravenStar  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars or any of the characters from the movies and books. George Lucas does. 


	2. Red Dress

Thoughts are inside { } marks, since I can't get the HTML codes for italicizing to work when I upload the story.  
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
"Padmé! We're going to be late!" Jobal called again, with a sigh of impatience. She glanced at Ruwee.  
  
"It'll be fine," he assured his wife. "The party doesn't start for another thirty minutes, does it?"  
  
"Yes, but it takes about twenty minutes to get there in the speeder," Jobal said.  
  
Tonight was the birthday celebration of their oldest daughter, Sola, the queen of Naboo. It was her twentieth birthday, and an outside party was being held in one of the large courtyards at the palace. Rain hadn't been predicted in this week's weather, but even so, there was a large, indoor ballroom in one of the palace buildings, in case the celebration had to be moved inside.  
  
Tomorrow, the day after her famous sister's birthday, Padmé would be turning sixteen.  
  
Upstairs, in her bedroom, she finished pulling on her black hoes. Then she changed her mind and took them off, deciding to wear only black sandals. It wasn't cold outside. Finally, she chose a sleeveless red dress that stopped several inches above her knees. She knew that her mother wouldn't like it, but they had to leave soon, so she probably wouldn't tell her to change into another dress.  
  
Padmé sighed. It wasn't that she was jealous of Sola, it was just that she sometimes felt...overlooked, left out, and maybe a bit lonely. Sola had been Naboo's queen for two years now, and before that, she'd studied at a university on the other side of Naboo. Before that, she had also gone to advanced schools that were also far away. For most of their lives, Padmé had only seen Sola a few times a year when she came home for visits, and now, she saw her when she, Ruwee, and Jobal went to fancy cocktail parties or other events at the palace. Sola seemed more like a distant cousin than a big sister.  
  
And, Padmé hated the whole scene - royalty, famous politicians, cocktail parties, and "benefits" held for diseases that hardly anyone had heard of, mainly planned as an excuse for everyone to get together and socialize about wine, politics, fashion...Padmé rolled her eyes. As soon as she was eighteen or nineteen, she was going to move somewhere away from here, probably to the Lake Country, and get away from it all.  
  
"Sorry," she said as she entered the living room downstairs.  
  
"Padmé, couldn't you have worn something else?" Jobal commented in a bothered tone, seeing how much of Padmé's legs were shown by the dress.  
  
"I like this one. I wanted to wear red"  
  
"I know, but...ugh, nevermind, we're going to be late. Let's go."  
  
-----  
  
"Padmé! I hardly even recognized you!" Queen Sola exclaimed.  
  
{ That's because you hardly know me. } Padmé thought. But she put on her fake, polite, smiling face - she had learned to use it at these social events.  
  
"It's good to see you, too," she said.  
  
"Look at your legs," said Sola. "They're perfect. I'd kill to have thighs like yours. Isn't she pretty, Mom?"  
  
"Yes," Jobal said, smiling.  
  
Padmé glanced at her mother momentarily. { And back at home, you hated this dress. }  
  
"Thank you," she said, looking back at Sola. "Please excuse me. I'm going to get a drink."  
  
"Alright," Sola replied. "Have fun. Dance with one or two guys, even."  
  
Padmé flashed another smile before turning and walking away. For a brief moment, Sola's last comment had felt almost warm, like sisterly encouragement. But Padmé doubted that a ton of guys were going to ask her to dance, and she hoped that they didn't. The guys at these events were pretty much all the same - snotty, stuck-up spoiled brats that were named after their rich fathers or grandfathers.  
  
She went over to one of the drink tables and took a glass of water.  
  
"What time is it?" she asked one of the waiters.  
  
"Eight-fifteen, ma'am."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Yes, ma'am."  
  
Padmé sighed. Dancing was going to start at nine o' clock. The whole party probably wouldn't be over until eleven, maybe even midnight.  
  
She heard snobbish laughter coming from a group of middle-aged men standing nearby.  
  
"I do doubt that Bail Organa or Tesha Landrez are actually coming to Fiandra's party next month," one of them commented. "As if she actually knows either of them. Who else did she say was coming? Darth Vader and Jabba the Hutt?"  
  
More laughter came from the group. Padmé finished her water and gave the glass back to the waiter, then went over to one of the benches and sat down. For a moment, she glanced up at the night sky. Both of Naboo's two moons were full. They were beautiful, but for some reason, they suddenly made her feel a little more lonely than she already was.  
  
-----  
  
Darth Vader entered the party without much trouble. His name was notorious and known, but not his appearance. People rarely recognized him in public, since he was mostly secretive when working, and he had plenty of false identities to use. When the two guards at the entrance to the courtyard asked if he was on the guest list, he used a simple mind trick and went past them with no trouble.  
  
Even before going into the courtyard, though, he sensed it. Someone inside was Force-strong.  
  
Since he had fought and defeated his master, Palpatine, three days ago, he now could find his own apprentice. He hadn't intended to start looking just yet, but because he was in the area and suddenly felt the presence from inside the palace courtyard, he might as well go and see who it was.  
  
Not far away, Queen Sola was sitting in a large, gold-painted chair. Close to her were eight guards, and a middle-aged couple that appeared to be two of her relatives. Vader had heard that today was her birthday, that was probably what this huge party was for.  
  
"Where is Padmé?" said the woman standing near Sola. "Ruwee, did you see where she went?"  
  
"I don't know," Ruwee answered. "Calm down, Jobal, she's fine. I don't think she sneaked away and left."  
  
"I hope not," Jobal replied, sounding agitated.  
  
-----  
  
At nine o' clock, it was announced that dancing would now begin. Everyone who had a dancing partner began, and those who didn't sat on the benches or continued socializing. Vader stood alone, though no one stared at him or seemed to be suspicious of him at all.  
  
"Where were you?" Jobal said.  
  
"Sorry. I was just sitting down," answered a softer, much more pleasant voice. Vader took a moment to glance over at the queen, Jobal, and Ruwee. The person that had joined them was a girl wearing a short red dress. Thick, chocolate-brown hair flowed down to her waist. She was the Force-strong presence that Vader had sensed, though Vader doubted that anyone had ever mentioned the Force to her. She knew nothing of her potential, obviously.  
  
One of Sola's guards muttered something to her, Vader didn't hear what it was. But she excused him and he walked away. As he came near, Vader stopped him.  
  
"Excuse me," he said with fake politeness, "but do you happen know who that is?"  
  
The guard looked at him, puzzled. "Sir, that's Queen Sola of Naboo..."  
  
"Not her. The other girl."  
  
"Oh, her," the guard said. "That's her younger sister, Padmé, and their parents, sir."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
-----  
  
No one asked Padmé to dance. After some time passed, she went over to Ruwee while Jobal was talking with two Rodians she'd recognized.  
  
"Dad," she said, "I'm not feeling very well. Could you take me home?"  
  
"Padmé..." Ruwee said. He paused. "Alright, I'll take you home. Let me tell your mother that I'll be back."  
  
"Thanks," Padmé said. It wasn't totally a lie; she was tired and her head had started to hurt a little. She wondered what time it was. Nearby, she saw a tall, blonde-haired man. There was a silver-and-black chronowatch on one of his wrists. Padmé approached him.  
  
"Excuse me," she said, "but could you tell me what time it is?"  
  
The man looked at her with blue eyes, then glanced down at his watch. "Nine-forty."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
Vader watched Padmé as she walked back over to Ruwee and said goodbye to Sola. He waited a second or two before starting to follow Padmé and her father out of the courtyard. Outside, they went to a dark-blue speeder and rode off.  
  
-----  
  
"Thanks, Dad," Padmé said as Ruwee slowed the speeder in front of the house. "I can get inside. Go ahead and go back to the palace."  
  
"Alright. Your mom and I will be home later."  
  
Hidden well in the shadows on the street - he kept out of the moonlight - Vader watched Padmé punch in a code and open the door to her house, then go inside and close the door again. He didn't clearly see any lights come on inside, and assumed that Padmé's bedroom window wasn't visible from this side of the house. He noted the address of the place, then walked back to his speeder. 


	3. Sweet Sixteenth

Thoughts are inside { } marks, since I can't get the HTML codes for italicizing to work when I upload the story.  
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
"Happy birthday, Pad," Jobal said, gently shaking Padmé until she opened her eyes. She was sitting on the edge of the bed. Padmé was glad that her mother's agitated mood, from last night at the party, had gone away.  
  
"Thanks, Mom, but don't call me 'Pad' during this time of the month, okay?" she replied.  
  
Jobal laughed. "Alright. Get up, though. Your father and I are taking you to that restuarant you like, the one in Moonlight Plaza."  
  
"Is it open this early?" asked Padmé, sitting up.  
  
"It's almost noon. You slept late."  
  
"Oh, okay. I'll be downstairs in a few minutes."  
  
-----  
  
Inside the small bedroom at the back of his ship, Vader was looking at Padmé Naberrie's record, which he accessed earlier. Queen Sola Naberrie was her sister, as the guard at the party had said, and their parents were Ruwee and Jobal, whom had also been there. Padmé's birthday happened to be today. She was sixteen now, seven years younger than Vader, who was twenty-three. Not that he cared; he didn't really have a romantic interest in the girl, though he admitted that if he ended up choosing her to be his apprentice - which he was considering now - it wouldn't be bad to have to look at her all the time. She was beautiful.  
  
With her brown hair and brown eyes, she even reminded Vader, briefly, of his mother. But he pushed the thought away and returned to focusing on the possibility of training Padmé. Unlike Palpatine, who would have automatically considered her weak because she was a girl, Vader was confident that she could learn just as much as a male apprentice could. She didn't seem to be very stupid, either. She was probably quite intelligent, in fact.  
  
Vader glanced at his watch. It was noon now. Padmé would likely be going out with her parents, or friends, since it was her birthday. There were two or three plazas and a few shopping centers around her neighborhood, but her Force-strong presence made it easier to sense if she was nearby or not. It shouldn't take long to find her.   
  
-----  
  
"Are you feeling better today?" Ruwee asked Padmé as they sat down at a table in one of the back corners of the restuarant.  
  
"Yes," said Padmé. Her headache had gone away.  
  
"Good," Jobal said, smiling. "I can't believe you're sixteen already. It seems like you turned thirteen just the other day."  
  
Padmé nodded absently. Her thirteenth birthday had been one of the few times that Sola had come home to visit, getting a week off from school. She'd brought a couple of dresses for Padmé, though Padmé never ended up wearing them. The whole family had gone to the Lake Country for a couple of days. Padmé didn't speak to her older sister much during the trip. She couldn't think of much to say or how to find any interests that the two might share.  
  
"Oh, Padmé, guess who was at the party last night?" Jobal asked.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"You know Eirtaé, one of your sister's handmaidens? Well, she has a brother who's only a year older than you, and..."  
  
"Mom, no, please," Padmé interrupted, seeing where this was going.  
  
"Well, why don't you just go on one date with him?" asked Jobal. "His father owns the Silver Pearl, that restaurant on the other side of Moonlight Plaza. He can get you two one of the private tables out on the balcony."  
  
"Mom, please," Padmé pleaded. "Let me try to meet someone on my own, okay?"  
  
"Alright. But if you change your mind, let me know."  
  
{ That won't be necessary. } Padmé thought.  
  
"Oh, great," Ruwee suddenly commented. "I left my wallet out in the speeder."  
  
"I'll go get it," said Jobal.  
  
"No, Mom, stay here. I'll go," Padmé offered.  
  
She went outside to the restaurant's small parking area. There were several speeders, but she easily found Ruwee's. Next to it, she momentarily noticed a sleek, shiny black speeder that looked expensive and new, or at least had an owner that took very good care of it.  
  
"Nice," Padmé commented to herself. She found Ruwee's wallet and went back inside.  
  
-----  
  
Padmé didn't do much for the rest of the day, since she didn't have any good friends to hang out with. All of her closest friends had moved or just lost communication with her. She had become mostly solitary, independent. Staying away from the social scene was probably one reason why she hadn't met any guys that she liked. Not that it bothered her. She figured that if she had a true soulmate somewhere, then fate and destiny would somehow find a way for her to meet him.  
  
Around seven o' clock, she did began to feel a little bored, so she decided to go rent a holomovie and maybe get some soda. She went downstairs and outside. Ruwee was out in the front yard of the house, cleaning the speeder.  
  
"Dad, I'm going to walk to the video store and rent a holomovie," Padmé told him.  
  
"Alright. Here," said Ruwee. He set down the wet rag in his hands, and pulled some credits out of his wallet. "Take this. And don't take too long; the sun's going to start setting soon. I don't want you out on the streets when it's dark."  
  
"I know. I'll be right back."  
  
Padmé had not been walking alongside the road for very long when a speeder suddenly rode past, startling her at first. It was going pretty fast; a guard or policeman would probably stop it soon. She reached into her wallet and counted the credits that Ruwee had given her. Twelve. That should be enough for a couple of movies.  
  
She remembered the last time she'd gone to the video store, only about a week or two ago. There had been a sign inside saying that they were currently hiring. She decided to get an employment application and fill it out. Her parents would probably want her to get a part-time job somewhere soon, anyway.  
  
-----  
  
"That'll be eleven credits," the Twi'lek teenage girl said from behind the counter. Padmé pulled the credits out of her wallet and gave it to her.  
  
"Do you have one more?" the Twi'lek asked.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"This is only ten credits."  
  
"Damn it," Padmé muttered. She was sure she'd counted twelve earlier. She must have made a mistake.  
  
"Here," said a voice behind her, and Padmé turned around to see a tall, blonde-haired man dressed in black. He looked somewhat familiar, though she couldn't remember where she'd met him before. He gave her a credit.  
  
"Oh, thank you," she said softly, smiling.  
  
Padmé remembered to get an employment application before leaving. Outside the store, she saw the blonde-haired man again, walking over to a shiny black speeder that was as nice as the one she'd seen at the restaurant earlier. She decided to go over and thank him again, since she wasn't sure if he'd heard her the first time. He hadn't said "You're welcome" or anything.  
  
"Hey!" she called as she approached him, before he opened the door of his speeder. He paused and looked at her.  
  
"Thank you again," Padmé told him.  
  
"No problem," the man replied.  
  
"Sorry if I'm rude," said Padmé, "but have I met you before? You look familiar."  
  
The man briefly held out one of his hands, and as Padmé shook it, she finally recognized the silver-and-black watch on his wrist.  
  
"You were at Queen Sola's party last night," he said. "You asked me for the time."  
  
"Oh, yes," Padmé said. She paused. "Well, I need to get home before it gets dark. Bye."  
  
"Bye," the man said. "Take it easy, Padmé."  
  
Padmé turned around again and looked at him. "How do you know my name?"  
  
Vader shrugged. "I overheard someone calling you that at the party."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Do you need a ride to your house?" Vader offered.  
  
"Well..." Padmé started. She knew better than to be taking rides from strangers, but she was sixteen, not six. It would be dark soon, and she didn't really wanting to be walking in the streets in the dark, as Ruwee had warned her.  
  
"Alright. Thanks," she said.  
  
"No problem," Vader said again as they both got in the speeder. As they started riding, he glanced at the employment application that Padmé was holding.   
  
"Are you going to work there?" he asked.  
  
"Hopefully," she answered. She paused, studying him for a moment. He was very muscular, slightly tan, and had to be a least a foot taller than she was, maybe more. He was handsome. Padmé guessed that he was at least a couple of years older than her, though.  
  
"So," she asked, trying to think of some conversation. "Do you live here, on Naboo?"  
  
"No," Vader answered. "I'm just here to...visit someone. Then she and I are going back home."  
  
"Oh," Padmé answered. From the mysterious way he said it, she guessed that he had a girlfriend. "How do you know Queen Sola?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Vader asked.  
  
"You were at her birthday celebration last night."  
  
"Oh," said Vader. "I don't directly know her. A friend invited me along."  
  
Padmé nodded, not surprised. At these social events and parties, only about half of the guests there were actually invited. She studied the man again, for a moment, and something caught her eye. On his belt, partially hidden by his black robes, there was some kind of silver cylinder.  
  
"Wow," she said, but softly.  
  
"What?" Vader asked.  
  
"Is that a lightsaber?" asked Padmé.  
  
Vader looked at her for a moment before turning his blue eyes back to the street. "You actually know what a lightsaber is?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"How?"  
  
Padmé shrugged. "Once, when my sister was visiting me, she was writing a paper on Jedi and the Force and stuff, and she had to take an exam on it. My mom told me to help her study for it. I just remembered, that's all."  
  
Vader nodded. That must have been about four years ago, when he was still Anakin Skywalker. He had left the Jedi Order and joined Palpatine shortly after his nineteenth birthday. And now, Palpatine was finally out of the way. But this was good news - Padmé at least had some idea of what the Force was, since she had mentioned it.  
  
Vader never did directly answer "yes" to her question about the cylinder attached to his belt. Not right then, anyways. A moment later, Padmé pointed and said, "That's my house."  
  
The speeder slowed and stopped. Padmé got out.  
  
"Thank you," she told Vader.  
  
"You're welcome, Padmé."  
  
"Hey, you didn't tell me your name."  
  
"I'll tell you next time," said Vader, before driving off.  
  
{ Next time? How do I know if I'll even meet him again? } Padmé thought as she stood and watched the black speeder until it was no longer visible. Then she glanced down at the employment application in her hand. Of course - he knew she was going to try and get a job at the video store. Maybe he'd come in and see her while she was working.  
  
{ Stop that. } Padmé told herself, trying to keep her hopes from rising. { He probably has a girlfriend. He said he was visiting a "she". }  
  
{ Then again, if he has a girlfriend, why is he acting as if he'll see me again? }  
  
Padmé smiled to herself and went inside the house.  
  
-----  
  
"And who was that, Pad?" asked Jobal in a tone that was more curious and teasing than demanding. She, Ruwee, and Padmé had just sat down at the dining room table.  
  
"Who?" asked Padmé, taking a bite of her shuura fruit.  
  
"Outside," Ruwee said, "when you came back from the video store earlier. I looked out the window and saw a speeder drop you off."  
  
"Oh," said Padmé. "A friend gave me a ride."  
  
Ruwee glanced at Jobal. "I think Padmé has a boyfriend. No wonder she doesn't want to go out with Eirtaé's brother."  
  
"Dad! Stop it."  
  
"Ah, a secret boyfriend," Jobal said, smiling. "You know, when your father and I first started dating, I was around your age. My father didn't like Ruwee at first, so he and I had to keep it a secret for almost six months."  
  
"Is that it, dear?" Ruwee asked, looking at Padmé. "Don't think I'll disapprove of him. I'd like to meet him."  
  
"Why don't you invite him over for dinner tomorrow night?" Jobal suggested.  
  
"No..." Padmé said, letting her voice trail off. She realized she was blushing. 


	4. Amidala

Thoughts are inside { } marks, since I can't get the HTML codes for italicizing to work when I upload the story.  
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
Although Vader remained on Naboo, he left Padmé alone for a couple of days. When he saw her again, she was leaving the video store. It didn't seem as if she had just been working there, though, so she probably hadn't gotten the job she'd applied for. She was most likely returning the two holomovies she'd rented the other night. Vader slowed his speeder.  
  
"Hey!" Padmé exclaimed when she saw him. She smiled, seeming to be happy that he'd showed up. For just a moment, Vader allowed himself to notice how beautiful the smile was.  
  
"I was hoping I'd see you again," she said as she approached the speeder.  
  
"Do you need a ride?" Vader asked.  
  
"No," answered Padmé. "I'll just walk. It's not very far."  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"Moonlight Plaza," said Padmé. "I'm going to the café to get coffee or something."  
  
"So am I," said Vader. "Come with me."  
  
The way he said it, this time, wasn't exactly an offer; it was more of a gentle command. It didn't bother Padmé, though. She wanted to obey it. She smiled again and got into the speeder. Although she'd told Jobal that she'd be home before noon - and it was eleven-forty-five now - she figured that she wouldn't get in trouble if she told her parents that she had been out with her mysterious boyfriend. Well, the blonde-haired man wasn't her boyfriend, but her parents still thought she was seeing someone, and she could at least use it to her advantage, since they liked the idea of her having a boyfriend.  
  
{ But don't get excited. You're just going to the café with him. This does not mean he likes you. He's probably got a girlfriend. } Padmé told herself again. Then she remembered something.  
  
"Hey, are you going to tell me now?" she asked.  
  
Vader glanced at her. "Tell you what?"  
  
"The other night, you said you'd tell me your name next time," Padmé answered. "What is it?"  
  
"I'll tell you later. Not yet," Vader said. He gave her a brief smile. It had his mysterious, cool air, but now it also seemed creepy, and not in an exciting or adventurous way. Padmé suddenly wondered if this had been a bad idea. She was getting rides from someone who was wearing black all the time, wouldn't tell her his name yet, and had a silver cylinder on his belt that was possibly a lightsaber. Padmé realized that he hadn't really answered her the other night, when she'd asked if it was a lightsaber.  
  
She glanced up, looking out at the streets as the speeder rode through them. It suddenly didn't surprise her that they were going nowhere near the direction of Moonlight Plaza. They were actually heading away from the whole city.  
  
{ I can't believe I was so stupid. } Padmé thought.  
  
"You're not stupid," said Vader.  
  
Padmé looked at him. "What? Did you just...?"  
  
"...read your mind? Yes."  
  
"Who are you?" asked Padmé in a nervous tone. "Are you a Jedi?"  
  
"Would a Jedi be kidnapping you?" Vader asked.  
  
"No," said Padmé, "but you've got a lightsaber."  
  
"Then maybe I'm a Sith," Vader suggested.  
  
At first, Padmé said nothing. She looked out of the speeder's window and noticed that they had passed the outskirts of the city now, and were going through the fields and forests. There were paths in these areas, so that beings could travel through them to get from city to city, but no one really lived out here, except maybe fugitives and bounty hunters.  
  
"The Sith have been extinct for years, though," she said softly, thinking back to the exam that she'd helped Sola study for. "Well, except for Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine, of course."  
  
"Exactly - except that Palpatine is dead now."  
  
Padmé shook her head. "You're not Darth Vader. I don't believe you."  
  
"Yes, you do. You're lying. I can sense when you're lying, so lying to me is pointless," said Vader. "Just letting you know."  
  
"Thanks," Padmé muttered. She meant for it to sound more sarcastic, but she was beginning to tremble now, from fear, and her voice was starting to shake. She sighed. "Are you going to rape me?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Kill me?"  
  
"Not if you cooperate," said Vader.  
  
"C-Cooperate with what, if I may ask?" Padmé replied, wishing she could stop her voice from shaking.  
  
"I told you," Vader said, "that Palpatine - my master - is dead now. I killed him a few days ago."  
  
"And?"  
  
"Didn't Sola have that on her exam?" Vader asked.  
  
Padmé, not surprised that Vader knew Sola was her sister, thought about the exam again. She then remembered reading that one of the Sith Order's rules was that every apprentice one day killed their master, as a final test, then looked for their own apprentice to train.  
  
"You need your own apprentice?" Padmé guessed.  
  
"Yes," said Vader. "You."  
  
"Me? I don't have any strength in the Force," Padmé said.  
  
{ Then again, I am in a speeder with Darth Vader. }  
  
"Yes," said Vader, reading her mind again.  
  
"I thought that Sith couldn't be female, though," said Padmé.  
  
"No. A lot of Sith have been female. Palptine didn't think that they should be female; he sees them as being weaker. I disagree," said Vader, "and I've chosen to train you."  
  
Padmé sighed, but said nothing else. She didn't feel like asking anymore questions. She was stuck here, and she knew that trying to escape would be pointless.  
  
"Good. I appreciate that you already understand that," said Vader.  
  
Padmé nodded, but remained quiet. She had to admit, though, that Darth Vader didn't look anything like she'd ever imagined. No wonder she'd trusted him so easily. He didn't look like a psycho. He had seemed so nice and was good-looking, plus he couldn't be older than thirty.  
  
"Twenty-three," Vader said, though he was sure that Padmé didn't have a crush on him anymore, considering that he'd kidnapped her and all.  
  
Again, Padmé nodded silently. She thought of Jobal and Ruwee, and tried to remember what she'd last said to them before leaving the house earlier, since it had most likely been the last words she'd say to them. She'd said "I'll be back later," and they'd both said "Okay." Jobal had added "Say hi to your boyfriend for us!"  
  
And Sola, Padmé even thought of her. She'd told her goodbye and "Happy birthday" before leaving the party the other night. Sola had said "Take care" or something like that. Now that she had been captured and was leaving Naboo, Padmé wished she'd tried to talk to her sister more, or tried to know her better.  
  
{ Oh, stop it. } she told herself. { Don't make yourself feel guilty. It's not like you knew Darth Vader was going to show up and kidnap you. }  
  
Padmé said nothing else as the speeder continued riding to whatever place they were going to, most likely to where Vader's ship was.  
  
-----  
  
The speeder finally stopped, after what could have been only thirty minutes, or maybe as much as an hour. Padmé, who had been looking down at her lap or her hands or the floor of the speeder - she just didn't want to look at Vader - finally looked up. They were in a large clearing in the woods somewhere. Ahead of them was a large black ship, as sleek and shiny as the speeder.  
  
They didn't get out of the speeder yet, though. Vader turned and looked at Padmé. She wasn't facing him, but she knew he was looking at her; she could practically feel the gaze coming from his blue eyes, which now seemed cold.  
  
"Padmé," Vader said, "this does not have to be as hard as you think it is."  
  
Padmé said nothing and still didn't look directly at him.  
  
"It will be easiest if you cooperate," Vader continued, "and don't piss me off. You're not stupid. I know you're very intelligent."  
  
He waited for her to reply. She didn't at first. After a few more silent moments, she finally glanced at him and said, for the first time, "Yes, Master."  
  
"Good. I'm glad that you understand," said Vader. His tone was mostly gentle, but it didn't comfort his new apprentice at all.  
  
They got out of the speeder and went to the ship. Padmé was a little surprised, at first, that Vader was going to leave the speeder where it was, but figured that he'd stolen it from somewhere, anyway, and didn't need it. He probably had his own one inside the ship.  
  
Vader let Padmé sit in the ship's cockpit with him. He couldn't help but notice the difference between how she was now and how she'd looked an hour or two ago, at the video store. Her face had brightened when she saw him, and there was that beautiful smile she'd shown. Now she looked paler, was still trembling a little, and he could sense her fear. Hopefully she wouldn't have a nervous breakdown.  
  
"Where are we going?" she softly asked, barely audible.  
  
"The Yavin system," answered Vader.  
  
Padmé nodded. She had heard of the Yavin system before - one of Jobal's aunts lived on Yavin Two - but she had never been there before.  
  
-----  
  
She was relieved when she saw that the Yavin planet - whichever one they had landed on - was mostly like Naboo, except that there were some different kinds of plants and trees. Vader's house, as Padmé had predicted, wasn't close to any cities or other houses. She was on a planet she had never visited, stuck in the middle of the woods, in Darth Vader's house, with Vader himself, and she was his new apprentice. Wow. Just a few days ago, she'd been bored at her sister's birthday party, and had been wanting some kind of excitement.  
  
The house was not just a house, it was more of a small mansion. There were at least three levels, not including whatever kind of basement or cellar might be underground. Vader took Padmé to one of the bedrooms on the third floor; her new room. He didn't mention that it was right next to his.  
  
Padmé felt tired. As soon as Vader left her alone, she went over to her new bed and sat down. She looked around the room, taking in her new surroundings once again. The carpet was black. So was the bed and the bed's blankets and pillows, and the rest of the furniture, which was a small couch and table. The walls of the room were a blood red color. Other than the main door to the room, there were three other doors that led to a bathroom and a walk-in closet, which was already filled with clothes. The third door led to a balcony outside.  
  
Overall, Padmé couldn't complain, even if she was going to be stuck here. It was a nice room. She yawned softly and closed her eyes, and somehow managed to fall asleep.  
  
She awoke later that evening, as the sun began setting outside.  
  
Padmé went out to see her room's balcony; she hadn't looked at it earlier. The balcony was actually shared between her room and the room next to hers. There was a door at the opposite end that led into whatever room was next to hers, probably another bedroom.  
  
She glanced up at the sky, which was covered in beautiful shades of gold, crimson, and orange. Normally, she enjoyed watching sunsets, but she wasn't under pleasant circumstances right now. She felt even more lonely than she usually did. What was happening back on Naboo? Her parents were likely looking for her, maybe they had even asked Sola and some of her royal guards to help. After another week or two, when they didn't find Padmé or her body, they'd probably think that she had run away.  
  
With a sad sigh, she turned and went back inside to her room, hoping to fall asleep again. She had decided that she should try to sleep as much as she could right now, even though she wasn't tired, since she didn't know what kind of training Vader would begin teaching her first, maybe some types of fighting. She'd later be glad that she had gotten some rest.  
  
-----  
  
This time, Padmé slept for only about an hour. She was awaken by the loud calls of at least five or six birds. Briefly, she was reminded of the trips she'd taken to the Lake Country before, when she would sometimes try to guess what birds were singing. She got up and brushed her hair a little, then went back out to the balcony.  
  
As she looked over at the other end of the balcony, she saw that she was not alone this time. She probably should have guessed that Darth Vader's room was the one right next to hers, the one that shared the balcony. Padmé didn't want to look directly at him. She momentarily turned her attention to the night sky, where she saw several stars and two full moons.  
  
Vader glanced at his apprentice, noticing that she wasn't quite as fear-stricken and pale as she had been earlier, but she was still scared of him. He thought for a moment. He did have to go out tonight; he was following a former agent of Palpatine's named Tyren Uzego.  
  
Tyren was just a typical spy or messenger, and Vader doubted that he knew any serious pieces of information about the Sith, but he still wanted to be certain. Now that Tyren didn't have to work for Palpatine, he would likely start taking jobs from other employers, and for enough money, he just might tell any confidential information that he could have somehow picked up from Palpatine. Vader just wanted to make sure that he didn't.  
  
Tyren lived in one of the small cities around here. Tonight, he was taking his girlfriend to a movie and probably a restuarant, then going wherever. Vader looked at Padmé again. If she came along, she'd make him look less suspicious, and maybe he'd have a chance to show her a thing or two.  
  
"Amidala," he said.  
  
Padmé finally looked at him, and softly asked, "What?"  
  
"That is your new name," Vader told her. "Padmé was your old one."  
  
"Oh," said Padmé. She silently admitted that she liked Amidala. It was unusually pretty, coming from a Sith, and it also sounded wise.  
  
"I have to go out. I'm tracking someone," said Vader. "Come with me."  
  
He then explained a little more, about Tyren, and that he was taking his girlfriend out. He didn't directly say that he wanted Padmé - Amidala - to come so that they'd look like another young couple, but she seemed to get the idea anyway. She nodded, it wasn't like she had a choice. She went inside her room to find something to wear. 


	5. Not A Date

Thoughts are inside { } marks, since I can't get the HTML codes for italicizing to work when I upload the story.  
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
Padmé - Amidala - chose black boots and a black dress. The dress had long sleeves of see-through black netting, but the bottom of it stopped above her knees. It was almost as short as the red one she'd worn at Sola's party the other night. But she didn't worry about Vader staring at her a lot; she doubted that he would have any interest in doing so, since he'd probably be somewhat busy keeping an eye on Tyren Uzego. She knew that this wasn't exactly a date, either; she was just acting as if she were his date, so that the two of them would blend in with the other young couples at the theater.  
  
Well, at least it would be something to do, and if she didn't do anything to piss Vader off, as he'd said earlier, she'd be alright. After brushing her hair - which she wore down again - she left her room. Vader was waiting for her in the hall, outside her door.  
  
Amidala looked beautiful, Vader admitted that to himself again. She was still terrified of him - as soon as she'd stepped into the hall, her skin seemed to have become one or two shades paler. But she remained quiet.  
  
Finally, they went over to the small elevator at the end of the hall, down to the first floor of the house, and outside. As Amidala had guessed earlier, Vader did have his own speeder. It was the same sleek, shiny black as the one he'd been "borrowing" while on Naboo. He opened the door on the passenger's side for Amidala, and she muttered a barely-audible "Thank you" as she sat down inside.  
  
The top of the speeder was down right now, so the cool night air could be felt as they began riding. Amidala guessed that it would take at least half an hour to ride to whatever city they were going to, since the nearest one had to be at least a few miles away.  
  
One thing she noticed was that there were some cleared pathways going through these woods, which had probably been made so that it would be easier for travelers to go from city to city. So far, though, she had seen no other speeders on the same path that she and Vader were currenly riding on.  
  
For just a moment, Amidala managed to glance over at her master. He didn't return the look; he continued watching the path as they road. He suddenly reminded her of someone, faintly. She couldn't remember who.  
  
"Are you alright?" he suddenly asked her, without looking over at her.  
  
Amidala was surprised that he cared, and that he actually had to ask. "No, of course not."  
  
"I know," said Vader. "But in a physical - medical - sense, I mean. Are you alright?"  
  
"Oh," said Amidala. "Yes."  
  
-----  
  
The holomovie theater was somewhat crowded, which was probably normal for it. Before they went in, Vader leaned over to Amidala, and indicated a man with reddish hair that was standing near the theater's entrance.  
  
"That is Tyren Uzego," he said softly. Amidala nodded. Vader's voice, so close to her, made a brief chill go down her back.  
  
Tyren didn't appear to be older than thirty-five. His girlfriend, whom Vader had said would be coming, was a Twi'lek girl that couldn't be older than Amidala. She was wearing a bright, neon orange outfit that didn't go very well with her cool, blue-grey skin.  
  
A dark holomovie theater might have been a chance for Amidala to escape, if she were dumb enough to try it. She sat next to Vader during the one-and-a-half boring hours of the annoyingly dramatic and boring holomovie, somehow managing to stay awake. How could she fall asleep with Darth Vader sitting next to her, anyway? After the movie ended, Tyren and his girlfriend - Vader and Amidala heard him call her "Staisha" - spoke for a moment, deciding what restaurant to go to.  
  
They chose a place called Treasure Cave. Amidala had heard of it before. There was a Treasure Cave restaurant on Naboo, too; she and her parents had gone there a couple of times.  
  
Amidala and Vader's table was near Staisha and Tyren, but the pair didn't seem to notice Amidala and Vader, or realize that they had also been at the holomovie theater earlier. Once again, Amidala glanced over at her master for a moment, still unable to think of who he had reminded her of earlier.  
  
Tyren ended up saying nothing that was remotely related to Palpatine or the Sith, so the night out ended up being pointless. Well, not really pointless, Vader decided. It was best to not take any chances of Tyren knowing anything, and Amidala had probably observed a thing or two about tracking and spying.  
  
-----  
  
The ride back to the house was silent. It was almost midnight now, and Amidala was tired again, despite all the sleep she'd gotten earlier. She changed into one of the black nightgowns that was in her closet, and snuggled under the bed's blankets. It was somewhat cold in the room now.  
  
She closed her eyes and, as she waited to fall asleep, she finally remembered who it was that Vader had faintly reminded her of.  
  
-----  
  
The Jedi Council's buildings weren't open to tourists, though many of Coruscant's visitors still liked to walk by them. On selected days, though, the rooms with the Jedi Archives allowed tourists to come in. Today was one of those days. Jobal, Ruwee, and four-year-old Padmé - Sola was away at school, as usual - had entered the building only a couple of minutes ago, and Padmé had already gotten lost.  
  
More than once, she saw a human woman or man with brown hair that looked similar to Jobal or Ruwee, but it wasn't them. She didn't want to yell "Mommy!" or "Daddy!" in the middle of the large room, either. Sighing, she went over to one of the benches by the front entrance. If she stayed here, Jobal or Ruwee would eventually come over here and find her.  
  
The bench was a little tall, though, and she couldn't get onto it very easily. Padmé sighed again and just stood beside the bench.  
  
"Need some help?"  
  
Padmé turned and saw the blonde-haired boy who was standing a few feet away. He was older than her, but not a teenager. He observed her with friendly blue eyes.  
  
"Yes," she answered.  
  
Anakin came over and gently picked Padmé up a bit, so that she could get onto the bench. He could sense something was wrong. The girl didn't look very happy; she seemed worried.  
  
"Is everything okay?" he asked.  
  
"I'm lost," answered Padmé. "I can't find my parents."  
  
Anakin nodded, not even bothering to turn around and look at the large group of tourists in the building. It would be difficult for the girl to point her parents out.  
  
"Just stay here," he suggested. "Soon they'll probably come over here and notice you."  
  
"I know," said Padmé.  
  
"Want me to wait with you?" Anakin offered.  
  
"Okay. Thank you."  
  
"No problem," said Anakin, sitting down on the bench. He was supposed to meet Obi-Wan outside in....he glanced at a chrono on the wall...ten minutes. Hopefully, the girl's parents would appear by then. If not, he could be a little late. He wanted to make sure the girl went home safely.  
  
Anakin was eleven now. He had only been a Jedi for two years, but hopefully, Obi-Wan and the others were beginning to realize that he could do this, and that he was not going to fail. All of them still seemed to have some secret doubts about him. They never said it to his face, of course, but Anakin could tell that they sometimes discussed it when he wasn't around. It made him angry, despite the fact that he knew he shouldn't be hostile towards them.  
  
"Do you live around here?" he asked the girl.  
  
"No. My mommy and daddy and I are visiting," answered Padmé. "We're going back home tomorrow."  
  
"Oh," said Anakin. Then, he reached into his pocket and pulled out something. It was a black cord - a necklace - with a small wooden pendant. He gave it to the girl. "Take this, as a souveneir."  
  
"What is it?" asked Padmé, indicating the pendant.  
  
"I carved that from a japor snippet. It'll bring you good luck."  
  
"Thank you," said Padmé, putting it into her pocket. "What's your name?"  
  
"Anakin," said Anakin. The girl shook his hand for a moment, as maturely as an adult would. "And what's yours?"  
  
"It's..." Padmé began, then stopped. Her face lightened a bit, and she pointed. "Wait! There's my mommy and daddy! I've gotta go."  
  
"Alright," said Anakin. "Take care."  
  
"You too," Padmé said. She had already hopped off the bench. Anakin watched her until he saw a brown-haired couple greet her. Her mother bent down to hug her, and then appeared to briefly chastise her for running off.  
  
After the family left, appearing to be alright, Anakin left the Archives area.  
  
-----  
  
"Anakin," Amidala said softly to herself. That was what his name had been. It was odd that someone like Darth Vader, her new Sith master, had reminded her of a kind Jedi boy that had helped her years ago. Too bad Anakin couldn't come and help her now.  
  
A few minutes later, she was finally asleep.  
  
-----  
  
The next morning, Amidala awoke around ten o' clock. She showered and dressed in boots, tight-fitting black pants, and a sleeveless brown shirt. After pulling her hair back into a single braid, she went outside to the balcony. It was warmer than it had been last night.  
  
Darth Vader was outside, too. He was also wearing black pants and a black sleeveless shirt, but not completely dressed in all of his robes and the Sith cloak. This looked more like something that any guy would work out in, and it really showed how muscular Vader was. He wouldn't even need the Force to strangle or kill Amidala. She was glad that she had already decided to not piss him off, but she also hoped she didn't fail or disappoint him during whatever he was going to teach her today.  
  
He studied Amidala for a brief moment, then said that they were going into the woods. She nodded quietly, and they left the house. Instead of taking the speeder, they walked to one of the paths. Although the sun was out, the paths were shady and cool, since the branches and limbs of the trees were overhead.  
  
Amidala wondered what they were going be doing, and wished she still had the japor snippet necklace with her. She could use some luck today. 


	6. A Plan

Thoughts are inside { } marks, since I can't get the HTML codes for italicizing to work when I upload the story.  
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
They walked for what seemed to be at least twenty minutes before finally stopping. They were in the middle of the woods, not on any of the paths; though Amidala trusted that Darth Vader would know how to get back to the house.  
  
Vader had a small problem. Amidala already knew what the Force was, and now knew that she had it, but she didn't know how to feel it and sense it. She probably was feeling it around her already, actually, but just didn't know it. She needed to get in touch with it, open the connection, and then she'd be ready.   
  
Vader tried to think of how to describe it to her. As much as he hated to, he thought back to how Obi-Wan had explained this to Anakin. Obi-Wan had told Anakin to close his eyes and tell if he felt anything. That hadn't helped much at first; it had taken almost an hour before Anakin had finally gotten it right.  
  
Vader decided to try something a bit different.  
  
"Come here," he finally said to Amidala. She obeyed and came closer, but still left a little space between them.  
  
"Close your eyes," Vader said next, and when Amidala did so, he took one of her hands in each of his. "Do you feel anything?"  
  
"No, Master," Amidala answered. Other than the brief chill from Vader's hands holding hers, she felt nothing.  
  
"Nothing at all?"  
  
"I do feel cold," Amidala admitted. Then she did begin to feel a bit strange, now that her master had mentioned it. It was like a breeze of wind was going by her, but wasn't directly touching her skin. She just knew it was there. She tried to think of how to describe it to Vader.  
  
Luckily, he'd been reading her mind again.  
  
"Good," he said.  
  
"Am I doing it right?" Amidala softly asked.  
  
"You aren't really doing anything," said Vader, "but you're feeling it around you, which is good. Open your eyes."  
  
Amidala did so. For a moment, her master stared her. She wasn't sure why, and to make it even more strange, she was somehow able to stare back at him, too. But then he seemed to realize that he was still holding her hands, and let go of her.  
  
Amidala thought of something that she'd been wondering about, one of the many things she'd been wondering, anyway. She found some courage and said "Can I ask you something?"  
  
"Yes," Vader said.  
  
"Why can't I read your mind?" asked Amidala. "I mean, you can read mine, but I don't think I'd be able to read yours."  
  
"I keep my mind guarded," answered Vader. Amidala nodded.   
  
Suddenly, several drops of rain began to fall. It wasn't heavy rain, more of a drizzle, but it would probably start storming soon. They started walking back to the house. Amidala said nothing else, and didn't ask anymore questions. Silently, though, she thought again about that moment that had happened just now, when Vader had continued holding her hands for a second.  
  
{ That was strange. } she thought. And they'd stared at each other for a second, too. She'd almost been able to make direct eye contact with him without being too nervous.  
  
She decided not to think about it anymore, at least not now. She glanced over at her master, who didn't catch the glance. Hopefully, he hadn't been reading her mind just now.  
  
-----  
  
Lightening and thunder came a few times and went away a few times, though the rain continued throughout the rest of the day. Vader and Amidala didn't go anywhere else. Amidala stayed in her room. She went out to the balcony once - the balcony was covered, so she stayed dry. Vader wasn't out there when she went.  
  
She hadn't thought much more about how he'd held her hands earlier - she now figured that he had probably just been doing it to tease her a bit, though she couldn't think of why he'd want to tease her. Maybe he just hadn't been paying attention at first, and then noticed he was still holding her hands. No huge deal, except that he still scared her.  
  
It finally stopped raining outside, though it was now evening. Amidala doubted that she and Vader were going to go anywhere else today. She took a shower. As she dried and brushed her hair, she wondered what was happening on Naboo. She doubted that Ruwee and Jobal had given up on searching for her. It had only been a few days.  
  
Amidala sighed. She didn't want to make herself more depressed, and besides, there wasn't anything she could do about it. She was stuck here. She was Darth Vader's apprentice. Imagine what her parents - who had always been proud and boasting about Sola's achievements - would think if they heard that. Suddenly, she laughed for a moment, but instantly felt bad for being amused while her parents were likely sitting at home right now, waiting for a call or some kind of news from anyone who might know what could have happened to her.  
  
Amidala pushed the depressing thoughts away, at least for now. She wasn't very tired yet, but changed into her black nightgown anyway. She decided to go to the balcony again. Hopefully Vader wouldn't be out there this time.  
  
He wasn't. He was in his room; Amidala saw the light coming from his window. The window was closed, though there weren't any curtains or anything pulled over it, and the door that led into his room, from the balcony, was shut. Through the window, Amidala didn't see him inside. She guessed he was taking a shower or was somewhere else in the house. He probably wouldn't come out here anytime soon.  
  
She looked up at the star-filled night sky. The planet's two moons - she still didn't know which of the Yavin planets this was - were both full again. She suddenly remembered the names of the two moons; Luke and Leia. That had been a question she'd had on a test at school a few years ago. She also recalled that Luke and Leia were visible from two or three of the Yavin planets, so it still didn't help her figure out which one this was.  
  
Amidala glanced over at Vader's window again. This time, he was in there. He wasn't looking towards the window, so he didn't appear to notice her. He also wasn't wearing a shirt at the moment.  
  
After a second or two, Amidala quickly turned away and went back inside, to her bedroom. She hoped Vader hadn't seen her.  
  
Finally feeling tired, she got into bed and settled under the covers. A few minutes later, she was asleep.  
  
-----  
  
Vader had seen Amidala outside, before she'd looked over again and seen him in his room. But he wasn't mad. He'd seen her in only a thin black nightgown, though she had been standing outside on the balcony, so not much had been very visible.  
  
She briefly reminded him of the little girl he'd met once, on Coruscant, that had been visiting the Jedi Archives and gotten seperated from her parents. Well, Anakin had met her, and he pushed many of Anakin's old memories away, but he recalled that the girl had never said what her name was. She'd spotted her parents and left before she'd finished introducing herself.  
  
Vader turned his thoughts back to the present. He decided to let Amidala rest tomorrow, since it would probably rain again, anyway. The day after tomorrow, they'd go out into the woods again. She seemed like the type that could learn quickly, but without rushing too much, which was another reason why Vader had ended up choosing her for his apprentice.  
  
And she was here now, that was taken care of. One of Vader's few remaining issues to deal with, including Obi-Wan, was Nute Gunray and Daultay Dofine. Out of all the Seperatists that had been defeated - Count Dooku included - those were the two that had somehow survived, those two Neimoidians. It was amazing. Nute Gunray had gotten re-elected as the Trade Federation's Vicerory only last month.  
  
Vader knew it wouldn't be long until the Federation started bothering Naboo again. They'd probably even form another blockade. He wondered how Queen Sola was going to deal with that. The Federation would most likely force her to sign some kind of new treaty to make the invasion legal. When she refused, they'd probably kill her and invade Naboo anyway - which made the treaty kind of pointless, but then again, Nute Gunray wasn't famous for being a genius. Vader smiled to himself, amused.  
  
Nute Gunray and Daultay Dofine had done one thing that was semi-intelligent, though. One of Vader's spies had learned that they were hiding on Naboo now - and why? Because it was the last place that anyone would look for them. Vader had to give the Neimoidians some credit for coming up with that idea, even though it was still a bit stupid.  
  
He intended to go to Naboo and deal with the Neimoidians before they even began this pointless mess again. And now, he could take Amidala with him. It wasn't that risky. Nute and Daultay were most likely not hiding anywhere near the palace - they weren't that idiotic - so they wouldn't be anywhere near Padmé's old neighborhood or her parents and sister.  
  
So it wasn't such a bad plan. Amidala could even be useful, since it was her home planet and she knew it well. Vader decided to talk to her about it tomorrow. 


	7. Lake Retreat

Thoughts are inside { } marks, since I can't get the HTML codes for italicizing to work when I upload the story.  
  
Author's Note: Thanks for all of the reviews :) To those of you who mentioned it - keep in mind that this is an AU and Vader never (as Anakin) met Padmé, meaning he wasn't in love before, so it'll take a bit longer for him to open up to her. So, yes, the Vader/Amidala romance will begin more in this chapter, just not as easily as it does in my other P/V stories.   
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
Amidala seemed to be mostly alright with the idea of going to Naboo when Vader told her about, outside on the balcony the next afternoon. No sudden brightness crossed her face, as if she were thinking "Good, now I can escape!" She knew better than to try that. She did look as if she wanted to say something, though.  
  
"What is it?" Vader asked her.  
  
Amidala hesitated, then answered "I was thinking we could go to the Lake Country, Master. It's mostly isolated and it's nowhere near the palace area."  
  
Vader nodded. He didn't think that Amidala's parents or Queen Sola would try to look for her there. If they would, she wouldn't have suggested it. He told her that she might want to pack some things. She nodded and went inside to her room.  
  
-----  
  
Amidala - Padmé - had always rented the same lake house with her parents while visiting the Lake Country before; one that one of her uncles owned and always let them use for free. Now, though, she couldn't stay in such an obvious place. She and Vader rented one of the larger retreats. This one overlooked one of the small lakes and, like the other large lake houses, had four or five maids that worked inside. It wasn't bad, even if she'd be staying here with Vader.  
  
At the moment, they were standing outside on the porch of the house's first level. Vader glanced at Amidala, who was gazing out at the lake and the mountains in the distance. Sadness was clear in her eyes. She missed being here. Soon, though, she'd get used the to the fact that she was with him now. He had to admit that during the last few days, he hadn't minded having her around. She was doing well with the few things he'd taught her so far, plus she wasn't annoying.  
  
The shirt that Amidala was wearing right now was black, with only two thin straps. Without really thinking about it, Vader suddenly reached out and, with surprising carefulness, touched her soft, smooth skin. At first he only touched her shoulder, but then it was more like a gentle stroke.  
  
Amidala turned and looked at him, puzzled, but also too frightened to say anything. Vader stopped after only a moment or two, and let go of her.  
  
"You're shivering," he said, hopefully making it sound as if he'd only been touching her for medical reasons. "Relax."  
  
Amidala nodded quietly, but she definately didn't relax. She looked away from him and gazed out at the lake again. For a moment, she thought of that boy again - Anakin - and wondered where he was now. She thought of her parents, too, and Sola.  
  
-----  
  
Later, that afternoon, the two of them were out in the meadow. Amidala had successfully connected with the Force again, and this time she still felt it around her, even when she wasn't purposely trying to connect. And, other than holding her hands again to help her reach it, Vader didn't touch her as he had earlier. Now they were mostly just walking through the field, not really practicing anything.   
  
"How long have you lived here?" Vader suddenly asked, even though Amidala didn't live here anymore.  
  
"My entire life," she answered. "I'm a native."  
  
"That surprises me."  
  
Amidala glanced at him, just for a second. "May I ask why, Master?"  
  
"You didn't look completely happy at your sister's celebration," answered Vader. "As if you don't like it here."  
  
"I was often lonely," said Amidala, surprised that he cared. She was still lonely now, too, in her new situation. There had been more to it then just loneliness, though - feeling overlooked, not as boast-worthy or outstanding as Sola had always been - but she didn't want to pour out all of these feelings to her master.  
  
"Because of your sister?" Vader asked. Amidala couldn't quite tell if he'd just been reading her mind or not.  
  
"Mostly," she answered. Then a look briefly crossed her face, as if she had just remembered something.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Nothing," Amidala said. Then she admitted "Today is my parents' anniversary. They probably went to Alderaan or someplace."  
  
"Not likely," said Vader.  
  
"They do go somewhere every year."  
  
"Their daughter is missing this year," Vader pointed out.  
  
"True." 


	8. It Was You

Thoughts are inside { } marks, since I can't get the HTML codes for italicizing to work when I upload the story.  
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
Amidala was tired, but as soon as she went to bed, she couldn't get to sleep. She needed to. As usual, she wanted to get as much rest as she could. But she ended up laying awake for what could have been thirty minutes or two hours, staring at the ceiling, or at the walls. It was a little cold in here, too, and to make her even more uneasy, Vader was staying in the room next to hers.  
  
Amidala wondered how long they'd be here, hopefully not more than a few days. She couldn't wait to get back to the house on Yavin - well, not that she wanted to go, but she'd rather be in that house than in the lake house, for some reason. Since she wouldn't and couldn't try to escape, it was kind of pointless to hope that they'd stay on Naboo for a while. It only made her more sad, thinking how her parents were probably searching all over for her, and had no idea that she was currently here, on the same planet.  
  
She sighed. Since she couldn't get to sleep, she might as well try to make herself relax more. She sat up, in bed, and tried a meditation posture that Vader had showed her earlier. She closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind, as he'd said. It wasn't very easy.  
  
"I agree."  
  
Surprisingly, Amidala managed not to shriek when she heard Vader's voice. She hadn't heard him come in at all. There was a door connecting her room and Vader's; she must not have noticed that it was partially open.  
  
He sat down on the edge of the bed, close to Amidala. She was wearing a red sleeveless shirt and black pants, instead of a nightgown, so she seemed to have no problem with him seeing her. He must have just startled her.  
  
"Close your eyes again," he said. Amidala did so, and Vader moved so that he was sitting close behind her. He put one of his hands on each of her shoulders, which made her shiver a little.  
  
"Try to clear your mind," Vader said next. "Relax." He sounded almost the same way he had earlier, outside by the lake. Once again, Amidala didn't relax very much. She thought of something, though.  
  
"But you said I should always remain alert, right?" she asked softly.  
  
"Yes," answered Vader. "That's why meditating is one of those things that you only do in your spare time, when you're not busy, and not in a situation when you have to be watchful of your surroundings at all."  
  
Amidala nodded.  
  
"But eventually, you'll always be somewhat alert," Vader added, "even when you're meditating. It will come naturally."  
  
He kept his hands on Amidala's shoulders. She tried to clear her mind, as he had told her. She tried not to worry about her parents, or be nervous about her training, and most of all, tried to ignore Vader's touch. For a few seconds, she did manage to mostly calm down, but that went away when Vader quickly kissed her cheek.  
  
Amidala opened her eyes, but said nothing, and didn't turn around to stare at him. Vader wasn't quite sure why he'd just done that; perhaps it had been to tease her or something. He finally removed his hands from her shoulders and stood up.  
  
"Try to sleep," he said. Then he went back into the other room.  
  
For a long moment after he left, Amidala stared at the closed door. Luckily, she was feeling tired now, too tired to lay awake for another few hours and wonder why her master had done that. She hoped that she'd even forget about it when she woke up the next morning.  
  
-----  
  
When Amidala opened her eyes, she glanced at a chrono on the wall. She'd slept late. It was almost one o' clock. Vader hadn't woken her up or anything. She took a shower and dried her hair, and while she was getting dressed, she remembered him kissing her cheek last night. Sighing, she tried not to let it bother her now.   
  
Vader came to her room around two o' clock.  
  
"You were right," he said. "Your parents did go somewhere for their anniversary."  
  
"You went to my house, Master?" asked Amidala.  
  
"I rode past it. I went to Moonlight Plaza to get a shifter for my speeder."  
  
Amidala thought for a moment. There weren't many good junk shops in Moonlight Plaza, and she wondered why he'd gone all the way over there; it had to be at least two-and-a-half hours away from here. Oh well, he probably had his reasons.  
  
{ A shifter... } Amidala thought, then she remembered something.  
  
"Did you find one, Master?" she asked.  
  
"Not a decent one," he said. "Why?"  
  
Amidala shrugged. "My dad has a lot of parts and things in our house's garage. He has four or five shifters."  
  
Vader was standing close enough to his apprentice to sense that she wasn't lying, nor was she trying to think of a possible escape attempt.  
  
"We could take them," Amidala added softly.  
  
Vader nodded. "Alright. Let's go."  
  
As they went outside to his speeder, Amidala wondered how he'd ridden to Moonlight Plaza and back if the speeder needed a shifter. Then she realized that he had probably been talking about a speeder bike, not the land speeder.  
  
{ This shouldn't be too hard. } Amidala told herself. They were just going back to her old house, getting the parts, then leaving. She could probably do it without crying.  
  
-----  
  
The house was still empty when they reached it, meaning that Ruwee and Jobal probably weren't coming back from their vacation anytime today. Amidala wasn't offended that they had gone on a trip while she was missing. It was their anniversary, and since they weren't going to find her anytime soon, they needed to try and get whatever relaxation they could.  
  
She hadn't forgotten the security code to the house. As she and Vader went inside, she thought again about him kissing her cheek last night. He hadn't said anything to her about it, and if he didn't, it was fine with her.  
  
"This house is built a little strangely," she said to him, suddenly feeling a bit nervous as she spoke. She continued "You can't get into the garage from the outside of the house; the entrance is inside."  
  
They went to the garage. Ruwee did have a nice collection of spare parts; he could have opened a decent junk shop here if he wanted. Vader found the exact shifter that his speeder bike needed. They didn't leave the house yet, though. He turned to Amidala.  
  
"Where's your room?" he asked. Surprisingly, he realized that he had no important reason for wanting to see it. He was simply curious. He didn't say so to Amidala, though.  
  
She looked puzzled for a moment, but of course, she didn't ask why he wanted to see it. They went upstairs.  
  
Amidala's room was...peaceful; Vader silently admitted. It was somewhat large, with its own fireplace. The walls were a soft yellow, and on them were a few holographs of her, Ruwee, and Jobal, and one that also included Sola. Vader didn't see any that showed Amidala - well, Padmé - hanging out with friends or boyfriends. He guessed that she hadn't really had any close friends here.  
  
Vader was almost ready to leave, but suddenly, something sitting on Amidala's dresser caught his attention. He didn't pick it up, but just stared at it. It was sitting inside of a small glass jewelry box.  
  
It was a necklace with a pendant that had been carved out of a japor snippet.  
  
-----  
  
Vader said nothing to Amidala as they left the house and rode back to the Lake Country. He looked over at her once or twice, though she avoided looking back at him. She was completely oblivous to the fact that he'd noticed the necklace.  
  
It was her. She had brown eyes and brown hair, like the little girl that he - Anakin - had met years ago. And she had the necklace he'd made. He allowed himself to remember giving it to her, even though it was one of Anakin's old memories.  
  
Amidala had no idea that Vader had once been Anakin. Vader decided, for now, that he wasn't going to tell her. He glanced at her again. This time, she briefly looked back at him, but then looked away again.  
  
-----  
  
Not long after they were back at the lake house, they left Naboo. Vader had no desire to be here right now. Amidala didn't ask him why they hadn't looked for Nute Gunray or anything. She seemed as if she wanted to get back to their house in the Yavin system, too. 


	9. Wondering

Thoughts are inside { } marks, since I can't get the HTML codes for italicizing to work when I upload the story.  
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
It was early evening when they reached the Yavin system, and arrived at the house. Darth Vader left Amidala alone for the remaining part of the day.  
  
As she took a shower, Amidala wondered if she had somehow messed up or done something that had bothered her master. He hadn't acted as if he was angry, but he had suddenly seemed to want to leave Naboo quickly. Oh, well, at least it mostly got rid of the akwardness from him mysteriously kissing her cheek last night.  
  
She thought about one of the Sith rules; that each apprentice killed his or her master one day. She couldn't picture herself killing Vader; though she supposed that when he had been an apprentice, he had been able to picture himself killing Palpatine, either. But still...  
  
Amidala secretly decided, right then, that she was not going to kill her master one day, even if it did break the Sith Order's rules. She hadn't even wanted to be a Sith, anyway, and she wasn't going to kill Vader. She just couldn't, even if she wasn't sure why.  
  
After drying her hair and putting on some black pants and a sleeveless brown shirt - it was a little cold tonight, and she didn't feel like wearing just a nightgown - Amidala went out to the balcony to look at the night sky. It was something she'd started to enjoy doing lately, even if it did, at the same time, make her sadly wonder about her parents, sister, and everyone else back on Naboo.  
  
Vader was outside on the balcony as well. When Amidala saw him, she paused for a moment, then turned around and went back inside.  
  
-----  
  
"Don't think about whether or not it will work. Just do it," Vader said. Amidala nodded silently and focused again, or tried her best to.  
  
It was the next afternoon, after returning from Naboo, and they were out in the woods again. Amidala was trying to move objects with her mind. First, she had tried moving a rock that probably weighed thirty pounds or more; and she'd felt as tired as if she'd actually tried to pick it up with her hands. She tried a smaller one now. It still didn't move.  
  
Vader said nothing else to her, and they began walking back to the house after a few more minutes. Amidala hated this kind of silence; she wasn't sure if he was at least pleased that she had tried, or if he was frustrated with her and had given up for the time being. He didn't act frustrated; he remained as calm and cool as always, but he never gave her any praise for trying.  
  
Her master was mysterious. Lately, Amidala had gotten herself into the habit of always remaining quiet, unless he asked her something or spoke to her first. That was the best way to avoid annoying him, or at least, to make him tolerate her more.  
  
{ Then again, if he could hardly tolerate me, why did he kiss my cheek the other night, and touch me while we were standing on the porch at the lake house? } Amidala wondered. She wasn't sure, but she doubted that he had been gently stroking her arm just to see if she was shivering.  
  
She glanced at him for a second, hoping he hadn't just caught those thoughts in her mind. 


	10. Anakin and Padmé

Thoughts are inside { } marks, since I can't get the HTML codes for italicizing to work when I upload the story.  
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
When they reached the house, Amidala stayed inside her room for about an hour, not wanting to be around her master if he was displeased with her for not succeeding earlier. He hadn't showed any signs of being angry or agitated with her, but she still didn't want to risk it.  
  
It was probably going to be somewhat cold tonight, as it had been last night. After taking a shower and drying and brushing her hair, Amidala put on tight-fitting black leggings and a black shirt, the same one she'd been wearing at the lake house the other day, when Vader had gently stroked her arm.  
  
When she came out of the bathroom, he was standing in the center of her room. He'd probably been patiently waiting for her. She guessed that they were about to go somewhere, though they most likely weren't going to be pretending to be a couple out on a date again, as they'd done when following Tyren Uzego.  
  
Vader said nothing to Amidala for now. She followed him outside to the speeder, and they began riding out into the woods again. Amidala was shivering. It was cold outside, as she had guessed. And she was bothered again by the heavy silence. She hoped that her master wasn't bringing her out here to hurt her, or something, for not doing well earlier. Or maybe he was bring her out here so she could try again at lifting objects with her mind; though she was sure it would be hard to do in the darkness.  
  
Finally, the speeder stopped. Amidala hadn't been paying much attention to the surroundings during the ride. She had no idea if they'd gone very far from the house or not. But she looked up and saw that they weren't anywhere in particular. They had just stopped in the middle of the woods, on the side of one of the paths.  
  
Vader still said nothing at first. Amidala was even more scared now. What was he going to do? Why couldn't he at least say a few words to her so that she wouldn't be so confused about what she was or wasn't doing wrong?  
  
"Obi-Wan Kenobi," Vader said finally. His apprentice appeared to be confused. "Have you ever heard that name, Amidala?"  
  
"No, Master," Amidala answered. For some reason, the way he had just said her name had a strange effect. It had sounded a bit soft, as if he had almost been trying to talk to her like a friend, not an apprentice. Maybe she had just imagined it.  
  
"Good," said Vader. He had just wanted to make sure that Obi-Wan hadn't already discovered her at one time. Now for the next big thing.  
  
"He used to be my master," he said.  
  
Amidala looked at him. "But...I thought that Palpatine was--"  
  
"No," said Vader. "Not exactly. Before I became a Sith, I was once a Jedi. Obi-Wan Kenobi was my master."  
  
Amidala nodded quietly, though Vader knew she was wondering where he was getting with this.  
  
"Who were you, Master? Before you were Darth Vader, I mean?" she asked, as Vader had hoped she would. She was so smart.  
  
"Anakin Skywalker," he answered, almost whispering. At first, Amidala only stared at him. She was probably remembering.  
  
-----  
  
"I carved that from a japor snippet. It'll bring you good luck."  
  
"Thank you. What's your name?"  
  
"Anakin. And what's yours?"  
  
"It's...wait! There's my mommy and daddy! I've gotta go."  
  
-----  
  
"The necklace," she said softly. Vader nodded.  
  
"You can't imagine," he said, almost casually, "how surprised I was when I saw that in your room the other day, on Naboo."  
  
Amidala nodded again. She was looking away from him now, down at the floor of the speeder, not wanting to make eye contact with him. She was shivering still, and not just from the cold. Vader knew that it didn't help very much when he reached over and rested one of his hands on her back.  
  
"I can't believe it," she said. The necklace. That seemed to explain why he'd suddenly wanted to leave Naboo after they'd gone to her house. "What are you going to do to me?"  
  
"Why do you ask that?"  
  
Amidala shrugged. "I don't know, Master. I would think that you wouldn't want a lot of things from your past - as Anakin, I mean - bothering you..."  
  
Once again, Vader was pleased with how smart she was, how she picked up on these things.  
  
"...and I am - Padmé was - someone you met back then."  
  
"Yes," he said, "that's true. But I'm not going to kill you."  
  
"What are you going to do, then?" Amidala asked again. She was more uncomfortable. Now Vader was gently stroking her shoulder, as he had at the lake house the other day.  
  
"I want you to marry me."  
  
Amidala scratched one of her fingernails onto her wrist to wake herself up. She couldn't have just heard that.  
  
"Could you say that again, please, Master?" she whispered.  
  
"You heard me correctly."  
  
"Why?" asked Amidala. "Sith don't--"  
  
"I'm the master now, Amidala," Vader reminded her. "I decide the rules."  
  
"Are you still going to train me?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Amidala sighed and glanced up at the night sky, at the planet's two moons, Luke and Leia. Then she looked down at the floor of the speeder again.  
  
"But why?" she asked again. "You don't love me."  
  
"Never ask me why. Just trust me," Vader said, though he knew she wasn''t going to trust him easily yet. But since she was his apprentice and he was forcing her into marrying him, he could give her a bit more of an answer.  
  
"I found you again after I met you twelve years ago," he added. "That happened for a reason, don't you think?"  
  
"I guess so," Amidala said weakly. Vader stopped stroking her shoulder. He pulled a few strands of chocolate-brown hair out of her face, his fingers brushing against her cheek as he did so. Then he started the speeder again.  
  
"Where are we going?" asked Amidala, finally looking up, though she didn't look directly at him. She hoped they were going back to the house. She suddenly felt so tired, with all of these surprises.  
  
"To get married," Vader answered. "Then we'll go home."  
  
He had never referred to the house as "home" before, but it didn't really comfort Amidala. She looked up at Luke and Leia again, then finally glanced at her master - well, he was pretty much her fiancé now, as well. But as much as she hated to, she did agree that it was amazing that they'd met each other again after all those years. Maybe there was a reason for it, though she didn't feel like pondering it right now. 


	11. Wedding

Thoughts are inside { } marks, since I can't get the HTML codes for italicizing to work when I upload the story.  
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
When Amidala was younger, she - Padmé - had sometimes imagined what her wedding day would be like. She had pictured having a small ceremony, with just her and her husband-to-be's close family and friends. After going to so many cocktail parties and official events at the palace on Naboo - mainly due to Sola - she definately did not want a huge, fancy, extravagant wedding. And her dress...she'd imagined wearing a simple but pretty one, maybe light blue or soft yellow, not necessarily white.  
  
But now, of course, her wedding was nothing like that. Well, except that it was small. They were in a small town, which had taken more than half-an-hour to ride to, and inside a very small wedding chapel, the kind that young couples went to when they eloped. It was just Amidala and Vader and the minister, a thirty-something-year-old male Twi'lek who seemed to be partially drunk, or maybe just tired. The chapel was open twenty-four hours. He'd probably performed at least five more weddings earlier.  
  
And another thing Amidala had definately not ever imagined was that her first kiss would be from Darth Vader. Once, when she was thirteen, she'd been playing the role of a princess in a play at her school and kissed a boy, playing the prince, who was a couple of years older than her. But that had been acting; it hadn't been real.  
  
"...and I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," the minister finished saying. He quickly left without even staying around to watch, probably because he wanted to get home and get some sleep, or go and get another alcoholic beverage before he had to do another wedding.  
  
Vader was much taller than Amidala, so he still had to lean down some to kiss her, even when she stood up on her toes a bit. The kiss lasted several moments. Amidala almost enjoyed it, even. For just a second or two, she thought she felt something coming from Vader, a faint, brief touch of the caring that he'd most likely once had as Anakin Skywalker.  
  
But then it disappeared as he let go of her. They went outside to the speeder. The ride back to the house was completely quiet. Vader glanced at his apprentice-and-new-wife a few times, though she kept avoiding his look again. She looked tired, scared, nervous, pale, and was still cold.  
  
-----  
  
When they reached the house, Vader let Amidala go to her room. He didn't make her go to bed with him or anything, even if it was their wedding night. She'd already had enough stress and surprises in one night. He decided that he'd let her rest for the next couple of days as well, before getting back to her training. 


	12. Talking By The Fireplace

Thoughts are inside { } marks, since I can't get the HTML codes for italicizing to work when I upload the story.  
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
The next day, Vader didn't see Amidala at all. He was standing outside on the balcony, around sunset, when she finally came out. She didn't look well; as if she'd hardly gotten any sleep last night or during today. She might have just finished crying. When she saw him, she started to turn around and go back inside.  
  
"Stay," Vader said.  
  
Amidala obeyed, but didn't say anything. She came closer to the balcony's edge, still staying a few feet away from her master, and looked out at the view of the forest.  
  
"Are you alright?" Vader asked her. She was obviously not alright; though maybe she'd understand he was asking the question in a physical/medical sense, as he had the other night when they were going out to follow Tyren Uzego.   
  
"No, Master," Amidala answered softly. She guessed that he still wanted her to call him "Master", even though they were married now. He was still training her, after all.  
  
She shivered, and not just because Vader was here. It was getting cold. She wondered when this planet's spring would start...and she still hadn't asked her master which of the Yavin planets they were on. It didn't really matter to her anymore, though. All of the Yavin planets were probably similar.  
  
"Come with me," Vader said. Amidala nodded and followed him inside, to his room, and silently hoped he wasn't going to hurt her.  
  
Vader's room wasn't much different than Amidala's - the carpet was black, the pillows and blankets on the bed were black. The main two differences were that the walls were black, not red, and there was a fireplace, which was currently lit. It was noticeably warmer in here than in Amidala's room.  
  
They sat on the floor in front of the fireplace. At first, Amidala was in her usual nervous habit of trying not to look at Vader, or make eye contact with him, but she suddenly stopped for a moment and glanced at him. He wasn't wearing all of his Sith robes or the cloak; just some black pants and a sleeveless black shirt. Again, she noticed how muscular and strong he was, and remembered to try her best not to annoy him.  
  
"Tell me something," he said. "Do you like your sister?"  
  
Why was he asking that? Amidala stared at her master for a moment. For some reason, the way he'd asked the question suddenly had an odd effect on her, like he'd touched some hidden confusion inside her that she'd never wanted to ponder. Did she like - love - Sola? Sola had hardly been there throughout most of her life.  
  
"I-I don't know," she said.  
  
"You don't?" Vader asked. "Why do you say that?"  
  
"You want to know, Master?" she asked softly, surprised that he cared to listen to her feelings about it.  
  
"If I didn't, I wouldn't have asked you."  
  
Amidala was quiet for a few seconds, then said "I...I don't really know her very well. When I was younger, she was always away at school, or studying, and then she elected as queen. I never saw her more than a few times a year."   
  
"You sound jealous," Vader said, although he knew that she probably wasn't. Once again, his apprenticed stared at him for a moment. He seemed to have hit another point that she'd never really considered.  
  
"I'm not," she replied, then paused for a moment. "I don't know. My parents were always proud of her, especially after she became queen. My mother started becoming a little bitchy after that."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"Going to all of these royal, political events and parties, things like that," Amidala continued, though she still wasn't sure why Vader wanted to hear all of this. "She and my dad were always so proud of Sola, like I said, and I hardly even know her."  
  
"You felt overlooked," said Vader. Now he'd found one of Amidala's - Padmé's - old vulnerable issues...though he silently admitted that Anakin had some of his own. But for now, he needed to focus on the ones in his apprentice.  
  
"I guess I did, sort of," Amidala said softly, looking down at the floor. Her tone suggested that she felt a little guilty for having this conversation.  
  
"No," Vader replied. "You did. You can admit that. Your parents were mostly focused on Sola and her outstanding achievements. You wanted them to give you the attention and recognition that they gave her, and they never did. Neither did Sola. She hardly took any time to know you."  
  
Amidala looked up from the floor. Vader could see that her eyes were wet now. He'd said it all.  
  
"H-How do you know this?" she asked. "From reading my mind?"  
  
"Mostly. But that's not the point. What I just said is true, isn't it?"  
  
"Yes," Amidala admitted.  
  
"But you didn't like to think those things, because you think that's it wrong to feel that way," Vader added. "You thought that you would be selfish if you wanted more attention, so you kept pretending to be the perfect, good younger daughter that follows her parents to royal cocktail parties, so that she can make them and the queen - Sola - look nice."  
  
"Yes," said Amidala. Then, she finally buried her face in her hands. Tears started streaming down her face. Everything that her master had just said was true, whether or not she admitted it. Of course, now she could admit it, thanks to him.  
  
Vader moved closer to her and rested one of his hands on her shoulder as she cried. Then, after a second or two, he gently pulled her up and closer to him, so that he was holding her more. She didn't resist at all. She rested her face against his chest as her tears finally stopped.  
  
"Thank you, Master," Amidala said quietly. She moved away from him. He didn't stop her.  
  
Vader nodded. "Are you tired?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Vader was about to tell her that she could stay in here, but decided to wait. He'd just successfully manipulated her mind a bit, anyway. Well, not manipulated, but helped her realize the things he'd pointed out. It would start to make her darker.  
  
Of course, she wouldn't have to be as alone and cold and tortured in the darkness as he had once been, before discovering her. They were together.  
  
"Go rest," he said to her. "I'll see you tomorrow." 


	13. Progress

Thoughts are inside { } marks, since I can't get the HTML codes for italicizing to work when I upload the story.  
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
Amidala slept until almost noon the next day. She hadn't realized how tired she was. But the good thing she noticed was that she'd slept late just because of that - being tired. Not being melancholy, depressed, or wanting to cry until she fell asleep...just being tired. The conversation with her master last night had made most of her sadness suddenly go away.  
  
For a moment, she did think of her parents again, and feel a brief bit of guilt. But she quickly pushed it away. Why should she feel guilty? By now, they had probably given up searching for her, anyway, and settled back into their usual scene of royalty, politics, parties, and social events.  
  
For most of the day, she stayed inside her room. She went out to the balcony once, but her master wasn't out there.  
  
She was brushing her hair inside her bathroom, around six o' clock, when she heard one of the doors to her room - the one from the balcony - open. Darth Vader came inside, pausing in the open doorway of the bathroom.  
  
Amidala looked at him quietly for a moment. She wanted to say "Good morning" or something like that, but realized she wasn't really sure how to greet him, despite how much she'd opened up to him in their talk last night.  
  
"You look better," he said, breaking the silence.  
  
"Thank you, Master," said Amidala.  
  
Momentarily, she set had set her hairbrush down on the vanity as she tried to pull most of her hair back, so she could make a braid. She started to pick the brush up again, but had a small idea. She stared at it, trying to focus on it. Vader seemed to understand what she was doing; maybe he'd read her mind.  
  
"Touch it, but don't actually touch it," he told her.  
  
Amidala glanced at him, not understanding at first.  
  
"Don't physically touch it," Vader clarified. "Act as if you're going to."  
  
Amidala started to reach out and touch the brush. Her fingers stopped a few inches away from it. Still staring hard at it, doing her best to focus, she poked the air in front of the brush without actually touching it, as her master had said.  
  
The brush slowly moved - only an inch or two, but at least it moved. Feeling happy that she'd finally moved an object with just her mind, Amidala smiled for a second, and briefly lost her concentration.  
  
She tried again, with Vader watching. This time, the brush moved a little more, about five or six inches away from where it had originally been sitting.  
  
"Good," said Vader, finally praising her. Amidala forgot about braiding her hair or tying it back. She left it down.  
  
"I have some bad news for you, though," Vader added. For a moment, the brightness drained from his apprentice's face. She suddenly looked scared. He continued "You know those stupid, rich parties we both hate?"  
  
Amidala nodded.  
  
"We have to go to one."  
  
Amidala nodded again, and sighed with relief. He'd scared her for a moment. Those stupid cocktail parties were boring, she admitted. She did, though, sort of like the way he'd said "...we both hate", as if he wanted to point out at least one thing that they had in common.  
  
"Tonight?" she asked. She guessed that they were tracking someone again, as they had done with Tyren Uzego.  
  
"Yes. In a few minutes," answered Vader. "Get dressed. I'll meet you in the hallway."  
  
-----  
  
From her closet, Amidala chose a black dress that stopped above her knees, and some black sandals. The dress had only two thin straps, and she knew she'd get cold, but whatever party they were going to would probably be inside. She brushed her hair and left it down, then went outside to the hall.  
  
Vader was already there, patiently waiting for her. He was wearing a black tuxedo, and looked incredibly handsome in it. Amidala stared at him for a moment, then stopped herself. She hoped he hadn't just read her mind.  
  
The party was one of those fundraising benefits for some disease that neither Vader nor Amidala - nor half of the other guests, most likely - had ever heard of. Vader had used one of his false identities on the guest list, so he and Amidala went inside without any trouble.  
  
Vader took Amidala's arm inside his, as most of the other couples were doing. She didn't show much objection to it; maybe she even liked holding on to him.  
  
For the first boring hour or so, there was mostly socializing and mingling. The whole place reminded Amidala of Sola's birthday party a few weeks ago. Finally, music started playing and several couples started slow-dancing, not including Vader and Amidala. They kept with the small crowd that stayed at the side of the dance area.  
  
"Shit," Amidala suddenly said, but only loud enough that Vader heard.  
  
"What is it?" he asked her.  
  
She pointed out a Zabrak woman who was on the other side of the room. "That's Giera Sezak. She works in Sola's palace. I don't know what she's doing here."  
  
"Do you think she'll recognize you?"  
  
"Possibly. I'm not sure," Amidala answered. { I sure hope not. }  
  
"We should go, then," said Vader, not wanting to take even a small risk. They both wanted to get out of here, anyway.  
  
-----  
  
Back at the house, Amidala changed out of the dress and into some black pants, her boots, and a sleeveless red shirt. Then she went out to the balcony to look at the stars and the two moons, as she'd started to enjoy doing every night.  
  
Once again, it was cold outside. She needed to go see if there was a coat or something in her closet, and was about to do so, but stopped when Vader came outside. He'd changed, too. Now he was wearing the black pants and sleeveless shirt he'd worn last night.  
  
"Are you cold?" he asked her.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Come with me."  
  
They went inside to his room, as they had last night. Once again, the fireplace was lit. The room's warmth made Amidala feel much better, though she felt a tiny bit nervous now, as well. She wondered if they were going to have a conversation like the one they'd had last night. Not that it would bother her, but she had gotten upset and had started crying. She didn't really feel like doing that in front of her master again.  
  
{ He did hold me, sort of. }  
  
Vader looked at her for a moment. She couldn't really tell if he had just read her mind or not.  
  
He gestured to his bed. "Sit down."  
  
Amidala hesitated at first, but then went over to the bed and sat down.  
  
{ Calm down. } she told herself. { He probably only asked you to sit on the bed because there isn't a couch in here and sitting on the floor isn't as comfortable. }  
  
"Are you tired?" asked Vader. He sat next to Amidala, but kept a few inches of space between them, just to keep her from becoming more nervous.  
  
"No, Master," answered Amidala. She actually wanted to meditate.  
  
"You can," Vader said after reading her mind again. Amidala moved onto the bed more so that she could sit in her posture, and Vader moved behind her, putting one of his hands on each of her shoulders. It reminded her of the other night at the lake house on Naboo, when he'd sat with her as she'd tried to concentrate on her meditation, as they were doing now. That was when he'd suddenly kissed her cheek for some reason.  
  
"Close your eyes, and try to clear your mind," he said, remembering that Amidala still had a little trouble with the second part.  
  
For a few minutes, Amidala did managed to calm her mind, and felt a little more peaceful. She would have totally relaxed if Vader wasn't there.  
  
Vader kissed Amidala's cheek.  
  
It didn't surprise her as much as it had last time, since she had been wondering if he might do it again. She opened her eyes and looked at him, wondering if she should try to think of something to say, or just stay quiet.  
  
"Something is bothering you," he said. "Tell me."  
  
Amidala hesitated, then softly answered "I feel alone."  
  
"Why?" Vader asked. One of his hands was still on her shoulder. It seemed to be making her shiver.  
  
"I'm not sure, Master," Amidala answered. "Realizing everything you said last night - about my parents treating me the way they did - is true. I feel like I've always been unwanted now."  
  
"That's understandable. But you are not unwanted, or alone, now. You're with me," said Vader. He paused. "I told you when I captured you that if you didn't piss me off - which you haven't - then you would be fine."  
  
His apprentice nodded, but didn't say anything. He removed his hand from her shoulder, but then slid both of his arms around her waist, so that he could pull her a bit closer. He could tell she was becoming scared now.  
  
"But," Vader added, in a slightly softer voice, "you should try to cooperate with me more. It'll make things much more easier for you."  
  
Amidala remained silent for another second or two, then said "I-I'm tired now."  
  
"Then go to sleep," Vader told her.  
  
It wasn't really to comfort her. He used one of his mind tricks to make her fall asleep, resting next to him with her head on his chest. It did feel good to hold her. He gently stroked her hair and her face a few times, then he also fell asleep. 


	14. More Progress

Thoughts are inside { } marks, since I can't get the HTML codes for italicizing to work when I upload the story.  
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
When Vader woke up, it was still not midnight yet, according to the chrono on the wall. He hadn't been sleeping for more than a couple of hours. The fire in the fireplace had burned out by now. Amidala was sleeping peacefully, though that would certainly go away when she opened her eyes and saw that she was still in his arms.  
  
Vader was pleased with how well she was doing so far, even with the sudden, forced marriage adding more stress to her. She probably wouldn't be too nervous when he told her that they were going back to Naboo tomorrow. Well, no, not yet. He wanted to wait another few weeks before going onto that stage of his plans.  
  
Amidala opened her eyes. At first, she quietly glanced at Vader and saw that he was also awake, then became a little startled when she realized she was resting in his arms.  
  
"You fell asleep," he reminded her. Well, he had actually used a mind trick to make her fall asleep, but she had said she was tired, anyway.  
  
"Oh," Amidala said softly. She carefully tried to move away from her master, but he stopped her and pulled her close to him again. She didn't try to struggle with him. With a brief sigh that was either sad or tired, or both, she rested her head on his chest again.  
  
-----  
  
Later, that afternoon, they spent a couple of hours in the woods again. Amidala successfully moved objects with her mind, having more confidence in herself after she'd been able to move the brush yesterday.  
  
It was cooler that day than had been during the past few weeks, and by the time it was dark outside, it was freezing. In her room, Amidala was already in bed. She wasn't tired, and it wasn't even eleven o' clock yet; she just wanted the warmth of the blankets. Too bad her room didn't have the fireplace that her master's room did.  
  
For a moment, she briefly wondered if it wasn't just by accident that the heating in her room - if there was any - didn't seem to work at all, as if Vader was trying to make her want to come over to his room. But that seemed a little ridiculous. If he wanted her to come over there, he would have come and gotten her. Oh, well, it couldn't hurt to go out to the balcony and just see if he was outside.  
  
She got out of bed and went outside. She was only wearing a black nightgown, but since she was only coming outside for a moment or two, she probably didn't need to put anything else on over it.  
  
Vader was inside his room at the moment, but through the window, he saw his apprentice. He opened the balcony door of his room.  
  
"Come in," he said, without coming outside.  
  
Amidala hesitated at first, remembering sleeping in there last night, but then went inside. The fireplace wasn't currently lit, but it was warmer in the room than it was in hers, confirming her guess that the heating actually worked in here. She was still slightly bothered by the fact that she was only wearing a nightgown around her master, though.  
  
"Are you tired?" Vader asked her. He was standing less than a foot away from Amidala now. He touched her shoulder, gently stroking it the way he had at the lake house on Naboo.  
  
Amidala shook her head quietly. Now, Vader's hand was mostly stroking the area near her neck and throat. She shivered, suddenly feeling cold, despite how comfortably warm it was in here.  
  
"Yes, you are. Don't lie to me." As Vader said this, his hand paused while touching her throat, like a small warning. She should never lie to him, even about simple things such as being tired or not. For a second, Amidala was scared that he was going to start strangling her.  
  
"I'm sorry, Master," she said, not sure why she was whispering. Vader let go of her.  
  
"You can stay here," he said, not responding to the apology. Amidala nodded quietly, though her master didn't seem to see it, and followed him over to the bed.  
  
{ Don't be so nervous. You slept in here last night and you were fine. } she told herself. If Vader wasn't looking at her right now, she would have rolled her eyes, just to be sarcastic to herself. When, whenever she told herself not to worry or be nervous, did it ever actually help?  
  
The room's lights went off, probably with a mind trick from Vader. Last night, he and Amidala hadn't actually slept under the covers on the bed, but tonight they did. The heating in the room seemed to be going away now, and the beds' covers were warm. To try and make herself calm down a little, Amidala didn't face Vader as she lay down. She curled up, turned away from him, keeping as much space as possible between her and him.  
  
To her surprise, her master did nothing. He didn't say anything to her or pull her close to him. He just let her rest, and before falling asleep, Amidala hoped that she hadn't done anything to make him angry with her.  
  
-----  
  
The next morning, when Amidala opened her eyes and saw that she was sleeping in Darth Vader's room, in the bed, it took a second or two before she remembered coming in here last night. Slowly, she turned and looked beside her. Her master wasn't there, and wasn't in the room's bathroom. Still feeling tired, Amidala settled into the blankets and pillows again and closed her eyes.  
  
When she woke up again, Vader was there, sitting on the bed next to her. He didn't look as if he were angry about anything, or annoyed with her.   
  
"You're awake," he said as Amidala sat up a bit and leaned against the pillows. She didn't seem to know if she should tell him "Good morning" or anything like that.  
  
"We're going to stay inside today," Vader told her. "It snowed last night."  
  
Amidala nodded. Vader leaned against the pillows, next to her, and put one of his arms around her. Not having much of a choice, she rested her head on his chest. For a moment, she closed her eyes, but then opened them, not wanting to fall asleep again.  
  
"I wanted to talk to you about something, Amidala," Vader said.  
  
"Yes, Master?"  
  
"For how much longer will Sola be the queen of Naboo?" asked Vader. He had stopped referring to her as "your sister" when talking to his apprentice.  
  
Amidala thought for a moment, then answered "She's twenty. Her terms will be over when she's twenty-two, I believe."  
  
"And she cannot leave before then?"  
  
"She could give up the throne," said Amidala, who obviously knew more about Naboo's regulations and laws. "But I seriously doubt she'd do that. Otherwise, she can't leave unless she gets kicked out."  
  
"Kicked out?" Vader asked, though he could guess what that meant. He gently stroked her shoulder.  
  
"If she does something bad enough or isn't doing a very good job as queen," Amidala replied, trying to keep her voice from shaking as Vader continued stroking her, "then the people can vote to have her kicked out of the office, meaning she'd probably be banished from Naboo as well."  
  
Vader was silent for a moment or two, then said "You want to know why I'm asking about this, don't you?" He stopped stroking her, but his hand still rested on her shoulder.  
  
"Yes, Master," Amidala admitted.   
  
"I want you to become the queen."  
  
Amidala was almost, just almost, as surprised as she'd been when he'd said he wanted her to marry him.  
  
"Could I ask why, Master?"  
  
"Of course," Vader answered. "It's part of one of my plans. I will tell you more soon, I promise you. For now, I would like us to get Sola out of her reign."  
  
He smiled. For a moment, he felt Amidala's anger briefly rise inside her, but it wasn't because of him. She was thinking of the conversation they'd had by the fireplace the other night, of how Sola had barely been a sister to her, how Jobal and Ruwee had neglected her, from her point of view.  
  
"Yes, Master," Amidala said softly. The anger in her calmed down, and she let herself rest in Vader's arms. 


	15. Planning

Thoughts are inside { } marks, since I can't get the HTML codes for italicizing to work when I upload the story.  
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
Vader knew that it would be quicker to just kill Queen Sola and get her out of the way, insteading of coming up with some horrible deed, framing her for it, and then waiting as she went through trials and was kicked out of her rule. After all of that, then it would finally be time for the people to elect a new queen or king. But he and his apprentice would just have to be patient. If Sola was killed and then her younger sister was one of the first candidates to start running for queen, it would definately look a bit suspicious. It might look suspicious anyway, if Sola were kicked out and then Amidala was one of the candidates to be the new queen. Unless...  
  
"Amidala, do a lot of the people on Naboo know that you are Sola's sister?" Vader asked. He glanced down at his apprentice. She was still laying in his arms, with her head resting on his chest. She had tried to get up, but he'd stopped her, and she hadn't tried again.  
  
Amidala thought for a moment. "No, just Sola's guards and handmaidens, and some of the people who work at the palace. Sola didn't want a lot of attention drawn to my parents and I, so most of the public doesn't know that we're her family."  
  
"That could work to our advantage."  
  
"But my name would be Queen Amidala, wouldn't it, Master?"  
  
"Yes," Vader answered. "I was thinking that people might recognize you from how you look."  
  
Again, Amidala thought for a moment. "No, that shouldn't be much of a problem. Like I said, only the palace workers and the handmaidens and guards really know me and my parents."  
  
"Good," said Vader. Finally, he let go of Amidala, allowing her to sit up. "You can go now."  
  
Amidala nodded quietly, but as she stood up, she realized something. Although she was scared of her master, now a tiny part of her wanted to stay in here, with him. But she was still just wearing her black nightgown. She needed to go get dressed.  
  
Vader watched Amidala as she left. Now - probably with her help - he had to come up with whatever bad things they had to frame Sola for. He also needed to explain more of his plan to his apprentice, as well.  
  
-----  
  
Inside her room, Amidala glanced at the window, seeing how much snow was outside. There was probably almost a foot of it on the ground. She was glad that she and Vader weren't going anywhere today. After taking a long shower, she dried her hair and changed into black pants and a black long-sleeved shirt that was tight-fitting but warm.   
  
She was standing in front of the mirror in her bathroom, brushing her now-dry hair, when she heard the main door to her bedroom open. Quickly, she brushed her hair one or two more times, then looked at herself in the mirror before going to meet Vader.  
  
{ Why am I suddenly so worried about how I look? } she wondered as she approached her master.  
  
"Come with me," Vader said to her.   
  
They went downstairs, to the house's kitchen, where there were two warm cups of some kind of hot drink. Vader gave one to Amidala. It wasn't coffee; maybe it was some kind of tea. It did taste pretty good, though.  
  
"Thank you, Master," she said.  
  
Vader nodded, and was silent for moment before saying "Do you want me to explain?"  
  
"About Naboo, Master?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Yes, Master," said Amidala. She looked at him for a second, but when his eyes briefly met hers, she looked down at the black-tile kitchen floor again.  
  
"You probably know that Naboo has been having...trouble with the Trade Federation lately," Vader said. His apprentice nodded. He continued "When you are queen, the Viceroy - Nute Gunray - will most likely want you to sign a treaty that allows the Federation to form a blockade around Naboo."  
  
Amidala nodded. She was surprised, but waited for Vader to continue. He was dark and evil, but also extremely brilliant, not the insane kind of psycho. He wouldn't have put a blockade in his plans without a good reason for it.  
  
"But you aren't going to sign it," Vader said, "and you will destroy the Federation."  
  
"How, Master?" Amidala asked. She had tried to remain quiet, but couldn't help asking.  
  
"Don't worry about that," Vader assured her in a voice that was calm and angerless, but seemed as cold as the snow outside. "I'll explain more of it to you when it's time. For now, we need to think of how Sola can be banished."  
  
Amidala nodded, trusting him. 


	16. Maybe A Vacation

Thoughts are inside { } marks, since I can't get the HTML codes for italicizing to work when I upload the story.  
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
They stayed inside for the rest of the day, because of the snow. Vader worked with Amidala on mental things, including moving objects, which Amidala realized was becoming a little easier each time she tried it. They also meditated, though Vader didn't reach over and kiss his apprentice this time.  
  
That night, Darth Vader let Amidala sleep with him again. Amidala wasn't tired, and her master didn't seem to be, either. Again, he didn't pull her close or hold her. They did talk for a few minutes, though, as they lay awake in the darkness.  
  
"Master?" Amidala said softly.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Could I ask you something?"  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
Amidala hesitated at first, then asked "Why did you leave the Jedi Order?"  
  
For a moment, Vader said nothing, and Amidala got the feeling that she shouldn't have brought up the subject. He finally answered "It's a long story, Amidala. Perhaps I'll tell you one day."  
  
"Yes, Master," Amidala whispered. She almost said "I'm sorry", but stopped herself. From her observations so far, her master usually didn't care much about apologies - just stop doing or not doing whatever you were sorry for, instead of just talking about how sorry you were. She supposed it made sense.  
  
Vader finally reached for her and pulled her close, keeping his arms around her. Amidala admitted, silently, that she did feel a little more safe when he held her. It was sort of ironic, since she was scared of him.  
  
"We're going to Yavin Five tomorrow," Vader told her softly.  
  
Amidala nodded as much as she could with him holding her. "Master, I've been wanting to ask you, which of the Yavin planets are we on?"  
  
"Two," Vader answered. "Yavin Five is somewhat different than this one. It's more tropical."  
  
"How long will we be gone?" Amidala asked. She wasn't disappointed to hear that it was "tropical" though. She was sick of the snow and cold weather here.  
  
"A few days."  
  
"Are we following someone again?"  
  
"Sort of," said Vader, without going into more detail. Amidala didn't ask him about it anymore.  
  
A few quiet minutes later, she was asleep. 


	17. Things You Don't Know

Thoughts are inside { } marks, since I can't get the HTML codes for italicizing to work when I upload the story.  
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
It was early evening, the next day, before they left for Yavin Five. Yavin Five was more tropical, as Darth Vader had told Amidala. Amidala was glad to have a few days away from the cold, snowy weather on Yavin Two. Here, on Yavin Five, there were oceans and several beaches. The trees and plants were mostly different from the ones on Yavin Two. This was like a tropical paradise. It would be nice to live here, and it was probably where residents of the other Yavin planets often came for vacation.  
  
They didn't go to a hotel. They went to a small, private house on one of the beaches. The house was mostly secluded - the next beach house, the one closest to theirs, was so far away that Amidala could hardly see it. As they entered the house, she wondered if her master owned it, or maybe had a friend that owned it. She didn't ask.  
  
Inside the living room, they both sat down on the floor to meditate. Amidala was somewhat tired from some of the exercises she and Vader had done earlier, but as her mind started to calm during her meditation, she realized she had been more mentally exhausted than physically.  
  
Afterwards, Amidala noticed that the sun had begun setting. When Vader went back to one of the house's two bathrooms, to take a shower, she sat on the red couch in the living room and watched the sunset. The light shimmering on the ocean water was beautiful. For a few moments, she thought about Naboo - not really about her parents or Sola, but just remembering watching sunsets while vacationing in the Lake Country.  
  
She wondered what it would be like when she was queen of the planet. Being queen wasn't really something she wanted to do, but it was part of her master's plan, and she'd have to go along with it. Perhaps it wouldn't be as bad as she thought, or maybe Vader would think of something else that wouldn't involve her being queen.  
  
When Vader came back to the living room, he sat down next to Amidala, only an inch or two away from her. He must have already dried his hair, and he wasn't wearing a shirt. Amidala shivered slightly. She was wearing only a sleeveless red shirt and black pants. Her hair was down, too; she'd taken it out of the single braid it had been in earlier.  
  
"Are you tired?" Vader asked, looking at her. He touched her hair softly, running his fingers through a few strands of it.  
  
"No, Master," Amidala answered quietly.  
  
She glanced at the window again, seeing that the sky was mostly dark now. Vader could tell she was trying to ignore him touching her, or at least act like she wasn't bothered by it. As usual, he wasn't fooled. He let go of her hair and gently touched her chin, turning her face towards him again.  
  
For a second, he just looked at her, then he reached over and kissed her. It was a little difficult at first, since she was smaller than he was, but then he pulled her closer and she even sat up a bit, which helped. She probably only did so because she wasn't being given a choice to kiss him or not.  
  
The kiss actually saddened Amidala. It felt good, but there didn't seem to be any real feeling behind it, not like the brief caring she thought she'd sensed when they'd kissed after their wedding ceremony. She remembered that she was married to someone who didn't even love her, and she wasn't sure if he ever would. What made it worse was that, although she was scared of Darth Vader, she realized that she could truly love him one day, even though it would definately take some time.  
  
The idea sounded crazy in her mind - Vader was dark, cold, psychotic, a Sith, and training her to be a Sith, as well. But despite that, she still felt that she'd love him. Whenever she confessed that to him, he might kill her, but it would still be true.  
  
Vader finally pulled away from Amidala, for a few seconds, then kissed her again. He had caught the thoughts that had been in her mind just now, but didn't let her know. The truth was - although he wasn't going to tell her this yet - that he was starting to love her. She was the only other living being in the galaxy that he truly cared about, since Shmi was dead.  
  
Again, he pulled away from Amidala, and didn't start another kiss this time. He watched her for a few silent moments. She even looked back at him, at first, then glanced at the window again, staring at the stars in the dark sky.  
  
"Amidala," said Vader.  
  
"Yes, Master?" Amidala said softly, turning back to him.  
  
"We are going to kill the Trade Federation's leaders."  
  
"We? Both of us?" asked Amidala.  
  
"Yes," Vader answered. "Not yet. In a few more weeks, when you've learned more. It'll be much quicker than going through the process of framing Queen Sola and having you become queen."  
  
Amidala nodded. "Yes, Master." He must have sensed that she didn't really want to be queen, though she doubted he changed the plans simply because of that. It was quicker that way; he was right. But the thought of having to kill someone, even Trade Federation leaders, seemed so...wrong? Unusual? Amidala couldn't really picture herself doing it. Maybe it was just because she hadn't learned more fighting skills yet. Then it wouldn't seem so weird.  
  
{ What am I thinking? I'm going to kill someone. Kill them. } she thought. But the thought seemed sort of distant, as if it someone else had made it, not herself. Padmé had made it, perhaps.  
  
{ I am Darth Amidala. }  
  
"Yes, you are," said Vader, reading her mind again. "And...?"  
  
"And what, Master?" Amidala looked at him, somewhat nervously.  
  
"You are not who?" asked Vader.  
  
{ I am not Padmé. } Amidala thought.  
  
"That's my girl," said Vader. Amidala wasn't sure if that was supposed to sound sort of humorous or not. She liked that he'd called her that, though - his girl.  
  
Vader reached over and kissed her again, though this kiss wasn't as long as the previous two.  
  
"Are you tired?" he asked.  
  
"I'm not sure, Master." It was a dumb answer, Amidala knew.  
  
Vader stood and reached out one of his hands to her. "Come."  
  
Amidala took his hand, though he let go of her after she stood up. They went back to the house's only bedroom, which had only a single, small window on one wall. The window did let in some moonlight, though, which gave an eerie glow to the room.  
  
They sat down on the bed. Amidala wondered if they might meditate again, though she doubted it. Her master looked at her for what seemed like a long time, and she worried that she might have done something to bother him. Finally, he pulled her close, and she had to rest her face against his still-shirtless chest. His skin felt cool. She could hear his heart beating. She listened to it for a minute or two, beginning to feel drowsy. She closed her eyes momentarily, then opened them again so that she wouldn't fall asleep.  
  
"Are you tired?" Vader asked her again.  
  
"Yes, Master," Amidala answered.  
  
They went to bed. Vader didn't hold his apprentice anymore. Although there was about a foot of space between them, they faced each other. Vader had to stare into Amidala's eyes for only a few seconds before she seemed to become nervous again, and closed her eyes.  
  
Before she fell asleep, though - when she was still partially awake - a few of Padmé's old memories came to Amidala's mind. She wondered if Anakin had ever thought about Padmé after that day they'd met. She wasn't mad if he had forgotten her, though, because she - Amidala - was with Darth Vader now.  
  
Vader continued watching his apprentice until he was sure she was asleep.  
  
-----  
  
Not more than a couple of hours later, a chorus of loud calls disturbed Amidala. The calls were coming from outside, from what sounded like several animals near or in the ocean water; perhaps from whales or some kind of bird, it was hard to tell. Amidala opened her eyes slowly, seeing that her master had already been awakened by the calls as well. His eyes met hers again.  
  
Amidala wanted to say something, but wasn't sure what, and remained quiet. Finally, Vader pulled her close to him, enough so that he could kiss her easily. Amidala didn't resist, knowing it was pointless, and she admitted that she was glad he was holding her again. But once more, she didn't feel any emotion or caring behind the kisses, which still hurt her inside.  
  
Vader sensed her sadness. He still wasn't going to tell her that he'd been reading her mind earlier, when she'd been thinking that he would never love her. And he didn't wasn't going to tell her, yet, everything he really felt. But he could tell her something now, at least.  
  
"Remember," he whispered, letting his mouth brush lightly against her cheek as he spoke, "you are with me now. You're mine. You always have been and you always will be. It was our destiny for me to find you, Amidala."  
  
Amidala didn't say anything, probably because she wasn't sure how to reply.  
  
"Do you understand that?" Vader asked her.  
  
"Yes, Master."  
  
"Good," said Vader. He kissed her again, two or three times, and now, the kisses did feel somewhat different. It comforted Amidala a little.  
  
Outside, the animals had stopped making their loud calls. Amidala didn't feel tired now, though, and neither did Vader. When he stopped kissing her, she rested her head on his chest, and listened to his heart beating until she finally fell asleep again. 


	18. Changing

Thoughts are inside { } marks, since I can't get the HTML codes for italicizing to work when I upload the story.  
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
Amidala didn't sleep long, less than half an hour, before the animals' loud calls started again and woke her up. Vader had not fallen asleep again; he was still awake. When he saw that Amidala's was awake again, he doubted that either of them were going to get a lot of sleep, because of the calls coming from outside. It sounded as if they were in the middle of a zoo or something.  
  
After a few moments, Vader kissed Amidala again, being surprisingly gentle. This time, Amidala was sure - only for a second, but still sure - that the kiss was almost caring. Vader paused, then moved away from her mouth and kissed her cheek, then her neck and her shoulder. Amidala shivered, suddenly feeling nervous. One of Vader's arms was holding her somewhat tightly around her waist, keeping her close. He slid his other hand under her shirt, rubbing her back. He was still gentle, but Amidala shivered again.  
  
"Master?" she whispered.  
  
"Yes?" Vader whispered back. He gave her another brief kiss before she replied.  
  
"Nothing," Amidala said, not completely lying. She wanted to stop being nervous. Without letting herself think about it, she kissed him this time, and he returned it. But it only lasted a second or two before Amidala's small rush of courage disappeared. She pulled away as much as she could with Vader holding her so close.   
  
Vader said nothing. He kissed her again. As he did so, he continued gently rubbing her back, at first, then he began to pull her shirt off.  
  
Strangely, although Amidala was still afraid, she also felt safe. She felt different, too, though not in a bad way. She didn't think of her parents, her sister, growing up on Naboo, or anything else from her old life as Padmé. That all seemed so distant now, not part of her. She, as she had admitted in her mind earlier, was Darth Amidala Vader, Darth Vader's wife.  
  
In the middle of another kiss, a quiet thought went through Amidala's mind.  
  
{ I just have to find a way to make him love me. } 


	19. A Gift

Thoughts are inside { } marks, since I can't get the HTML codes for italicizing to work when I upload the story.  
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
The next morning, Amidala didn't open her eyes until after noon. Her master was sitting on the edge of the bed, watching her. He'd already woken up and gotten dressed earlier. He had just entered the room a few minutes ago to see if Amidala was awake yet.  
  
Amidala quietly looked at him for a moment, wanting to say "Good morning" or at least "Hello", but her nervousness had returned for now. She hoped that she wasn't pregnant. She tried to forget about that right now; there was no need for any more things to worry about.  
  
Darth Vader touched her cheek, just for a moment. It didn't feel very affectionate.  
  
"Get dressed," he said. "I want to take you somewhere."  
  
Amidala nodded. Vader left the room.  
  
-----  
  
Ten minutes later, they were riding in Vader's speeder. Amidala watched the scenery. It wasn't that bad to see tropical trees, flowers, lakes, and ponds. She doubted, though, that Vader would want to spend more than a couple of days here. It didn't seem like his kind of planet. Amidala admitted that she could agree with him on that. It was busier here, not as private and secluded as it was on Yavin Two. And Two was nice, as well, when it wasn't cold and snowing.  
  
When the speeder stopped, they were several feet away from the edge of a cliff that overlooked one of the beaches. After they got out of the speeder, Vader pulled something out from his cloak, a blaster. Amidala was confused at first. She glanced down at the beach below, seeing three beings. Two seemed to be Zabraks and the other one was a Rodian. Although they weren't really close enough for Amidala to tell, they appeared to be smugglers, thieves, or bounty hunters.  
  
Amidala glanced at her master again. He gave her the blaster and said, very softly, "Shoot them."  
  
He made it sound so uncomplicated. Amidala noticed her hand was starting to shake, just slightly, as she took the blaster from Vader. She had to shoot them. Once again, her old voice - Padmé's thoughts - tried to stop her, told her it was wrong.  
  
Vader had guessed that she'd have a little trouble doing this. He moved behind her, sliding his arms around her waist.  
  
"They are a threat to us, Amidala. I'll explain later. Shoot them."  
  
"My aim isn't good," Amidala tried.  
  
"How often do you fire blasters?" asked Vader.  
  
"Not very," Amidala admitted.  
  
"Your aim is probably better than you think. Focus," Vader told her, "and hurry. As soon as you shoot one of them, the other two will look this way, and you must fire at them before they fire at you."  
  
Amidala nodded. She raised the blaster and aimed it at the Rodian's back. Without thinking about it, she fired.  
  
The Rodian fell. As Vader had said, the two Zabraks immediately looked up at Amidala and Vader. Amidala wasted no time. She fired at both of them, amazed that she'd been able to do it. At the same time, she felt so sickened by the fact that she'd done it, too. She tried her best to push the guilt away, and gave the blaster back to Vader.  
  
"They were bounty hunters, Amidala," Vader said, knowing what she was feeling. "They know that in their business, they will either be arrested or eventually be killed by someone."  
  
Amidala nodded. Vader let go of her, and they went back to the speeder. After a few minutes of riding, Amidala's mind cleared and she started to feel a little better. The Zabraks and the Rodian had been bounty hunters. Vader had a point. They had probably killed others, definately more than Amidala had.  
  
"Who were they, Master?" she asked quietly.  
  
"They used to work for Palpatine," answered Vader.  
  
"So they knew too much?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Amidala nodded and didn't try to get more details about it. When they reached the beach house, they left and went back to Yavin Two.  
  
-----  
  
That night, Vader came into Amidala's room. She was brushing her hair, which had finally finished drying after the long, warm shower she'd taken.  
  
"Come with me," Vader said. "I have something for you."  
  
They went outside to the balcony, then into his room. It was still cold outside and there was at least a foot of snow left on the ground. The fireplace in Vader's room was lit again.  
  
Vader gave Amidala a black cloak, just like his own. Amidala felt unusually...touched, as if receiving it was one small thing that showed she was making progress as his apprentice - she briefly wondered, also, when she'd get a lightsaber, but didn't ask her master about it. 


	20. Getting Ready

Thoughts are inside { } marks, since I can't get the HTML codes for italicizing to work when I upload the story.  
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
As they lay awake in bed, neither of them asleep yet, Amidala once again wondered if Anakin had ever thought about her - Padmé, actually - after that day they'd met. For a moment, she almost had enough courage to ask Vader, but quickly changed her mind.  
  
Surprisingly, she didn't think about the bounty hunters she'd shot earlier. She had thought she would be bothered by guilt afterwards, but instead, she hardly thought about it. They had been criminals, after all.  
  
Vader might have been reading her mind just now; she wasn't sure. He reached over and kissed her cheek, then her neck, then pulled her closer to him.  
  
"I was pleased with the way you dealt with them, Amidala," he said softly.  
  
"Thank you, Master," Amidala said softly.  
  
She turned her face towards him a little and he kissed her neck again, then her mouth. She returned the kiss and, as always, didn't try to resist. Vader slid his hands under her shirt and rubbed her back, as he had last night. This time, Amidala realized that it felt relaxing. Again, her master was being surprisingly gentle with her. She wondered if he was any closer to truly caring about her - she didn't want to think that he might love her yet, it was too soon - but she definately did not have the courage to ask.  
  
Vader was reading Amidala's mind at the moment, as he continued softly kissing her neck, then her shoulder, and rubbed her back again.  
  
Although he knew he had to be careful with manipulating her mind - well, not "manipulating"; that had been more of Palpatine's kind of thing - he still needed to make her realize more things, things that would make her darker and make her want to stay with him, like the way he'd made her discover how angry she really was, inside, towards her parents and sister.  
  
He paused from kissing her so that he could take his shirt off, then pulled Amidala close to him again. This time, she wasn't too terrified to kiss him in return.  
  
Now that she was his apprentice, and his wife, Vader was not going to lose her. She meant more to him then anyone - except Amidala herself - could know or understand. Soon, he'd tell her. Not today, but soon, when the time was right.  
  
------  
  
Finally, the snow seemed to be starting to disappear. It slowly began melting, and it was getting noticeably warmer outside. Vader and Amidala mostly stayed inside for the next two days, though.  
  
Amidala was doing better. Moving objects with the Force was no longer very difficult; she now did it almost as naturally and easily as her master did. Vader decided that he might show her how to make a lightsaber sooner than he'd planned to, but not too soon. She was learning well now. Unlike Obi-Wan and Palpatine, both of whom had oftened lectured about how patience was important but never seemed to have much of it with their own apprentices, Vader wasn't going to rush Amidala.  
  
One thing they could do, though, was go ahead and get the Trade Federation out of the way. If Amidala had been able to shoot a few bounty hunters, she shouldn't have a problem with getting rid of some of the Federation's leaders.  
  
Vader told her that they were going to Naboo tomorrow, to deal with the Viceroy, and she responded with only a quiet nod. He sensed no feelings of sadness around her, though, which was good. 


	21. Sharing Stories

Thoughts are inside { } marks, since I can't get the HTML codes for italicizing to work when I upload the story.  
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
It was early afternoon, the next day, when Darth Vader and Amidala arrived on Naboo. They came at a convenient time, too, when the Viceroy was currently on the planet. Vader had learned that he would be "negotiating" with Queen Sola inside the palace.  
  
Vader didn't worry that seeing Sola would suddenly make Amidala become sad and want to go back home. From sensing her feelings and reading her mind once or twice on the way to Naboo, he could tell that she definately did not have a good attitude towards the queen.  
  
In addition to that, Amidala's knowledge about the palace grounds was useful. Vader knew something about the layout of the area, of course - they couldn't attack the Viceroy if they had no idea how to find the place where he'd be meeting with Queen Sola - but Amidala knew some of the hidden entrances and passages.  
  
Today, for the meeting with Nute Gunray, the queen was using one of the conference rooms near a corner of the palace. The room had a back exit that opened directly outside, into the grounds behind the palace. Amidala told Vader that the Viceroy would probably be using that back exit; a lot of visitors did, since it was a little more quiet and wouldn't attract as much public attention as using one of the exits that opened into the plazas or courtyards.  
  
The conference room was on the first level of the palace, so above the exit was one of the balcony walkways. This would be surprisingly easy - Vader and his apprentice could just wait on the balcony and see the Viceroy whenever he went out the exit below them. The balcony also had doors or archways that went back inside the palace, so they could turn and leave. As soon as one of them fired at the Viceroy, attention would be drawn to the balcony, and they'd have to leave quickly. It reminded Amidala of shooting the bounty hunters the other day. This time, though, Vader told her that he was going to fire at the Viceroy, and Amidala would take out two or three of her guards, just to cause a little more distraction.  
  
-----  
  
Everything went as Vader planned, except that one of the Viceroy's guards did take an opportunity to fire at the balcony. The red blaster bolt missed Amidala by only a couple of feet, and Vader was pleased to see how she didn't shriek or pause to react to it. She wasted no time following him inside, off the balcony, and inside the palace.  
  
Getting back out of the palace was not as much trouble as Amidala and Vader had thought it might be. Now that the Vicery was dead, most of his guards seemed to be glad that they were now relieved of their job, and they didn't go after the Viceroy's attackers. Queen Sola's own guards were the only ones that did anything, but they were not successful in finding Amidala and Vader.  
  
-----  
  
They arrived back on Yavin Two late that night. By now, most of the snow was gone. Right now, it was cool outside, since it was night, but it was not as freezing cold as it had been during the past few weeks. After taking a shower and drying her hair, Amidala went out to the balcony. Both of the two moons, Leia and Luke, were out, as well as several stars. The sky was beautiful and clear tonight.  
  
"Hi."  
  
Amidala turned around to see her master. She was a little surprised, since he didn't usually didn't give her much of a greeting.  
  
"Hi," she replied softly, then added, "Master."  
  
Vader approached her and slid his arms around her waist, pulling her close. He looked up at the sky for a few moments, too. Amidala thought that this could almost be romantic; watching the night sky with her husband. The only problem was that her husband didn't love her.  
  
{ Great, now I'm getting depressed again. } she thought.  
  
"Come on," Vader said, removing his arms from her waist. "Let's go inside."  
  
Amidala nodded and followed him into his room. He must have known that she felt tired. They went to bed and Amidala fell asleep after only a minute or two, with Vader holding her.  
  
-----  
  
Almost as soon as Vader also fell asleep, he dreamed about his mother.  
  
As soon as he saw that he was on Tattooine again, in the dream, he instantly had a feeling that he was going to see Shmi. At first, he was in no particular place; just out in the middle of the desert. He looked down at his hands for a moment. One of his fingers had a plain silver ring, one that he didn't really own. Perhaps it was in his dream to represent his new marriage to Amidala.  
  
Amidala. He wished she were here.  
  
When Vader looked up again, he was no longer in the middle of the desert. He was inside his old house in Mos Espa, in his small bedroom. The weird thing was that his room was much cleaner than he'd ever kept it. No tools or parts were on the work table. C-3PO was nowhere around.  
  
"Anakin?" Shmi called from another room in the house; it sounded as if she were in the kitchen.  
  
Vader almost responded, first wanting to remind her not to call him that name, but he changed his mind and just went into the kitchen to see her.  
  
Shmi looked up when he entered, staring at him for a moment.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry," she said politely, as if she were talking to a stranger. "I thought you were my son."  
  
"I am your son," said Vader.  
  
Shmi didn't respond. A few seconds of silence followed. Vader did not feel like going through the I'm-not-Anakin thing right now. He turned and started to leave. He wanted to hug his mother first, but since she hadn't recognized him, he figured that she wouldn't notice if he left without saying anything.  
  
He was about to open the front door when Shmi called again, from the kitchen, "Don't stay out too long. I want you home before it's dark outside."  
  
Vader stared in the direction of the kitchen for a moment, but not with sadness. He didn't bother to point out that Shmi had just acted as if he weren't her son. He opened the door and went outside, suddenly wanting to do nothing except find Amidala.  
  
Vader saw that he was not in Mos Espa anymore. Instead of the busy streets and slave homes of his neighborhood, there were cleaner - but not much more welcoming - city buildings and crowds. He was on Coruscant. How was he going to find Amidala here? He didn't sense his apprentice's presence at all, meaning she was not even within several miles of him right now. That suddenly drove Vader insane. He would find her, no matter how long it took, or if he had to look inside every room of every building on the entire planet.  
  
That ended up not being necessary. He overheard a woman's voice. She sounded both frantic and annoyed.  
  
"Weren't you watching her?" she snapped. Vader turned and saw her standing only a few feet away, yelling at a brown-haired man.   
  
"Yes! She was standing right next to me!" the man replied angrily.  
  
The woman wasn't paying much attention to him now, though. She continued looking around the area, and called out, "Padmé? Padmé?"  
  
Vader finally remembered the man and woman's names. They were Jobal and Ruwee; Padmé's - Amidala's - parents. He didn't know why he hadn't recognized them at first.  
  
Something lightly touched his arm. He turned around and was delighted - he admitted that he actually felt delighted - to see Amidala. She was wearing the same red dress that she'd worn at Queen Sola's birthday party, the night that he'd first seen her and she'd asked him for the time.  
  
"Master," she said softly, looking at him nervously. She appeared slightly pale. She was probably worrying that Vader would be angry with her for getting lost.  
  
"Amidala," Vader replied. He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her close. She hesitated at first, but then returned the hug.  
  
"Padmé?" Jobal called out again.  
  
Amidala did not respond to Ruwee and Jobal, or pay them any attention. She didn't even appear to see or recognize them. She just rested her face against Vader's chest as they stood together in the middle of the crowd.  
  
-----  
  
Despite the unusually happy ending to Vader's dream, he woke up because he felt something cold and wet. He soon realized that it was a tear. He didn't have a shirt on, and Amidala was still sleeping in his arms. Two or three silent tears had slowly come from her eyes, and touched Vader's skin.  
  
"Amidala?" Vader whispered. She didn't reply; she was still asleep. She was probably not having a dream that was as happy as his had been.  
  
Vader softly touched her cheek and thought about waking her up. Very carefully, he moved away from her a bit and let go of her. This was enough to disturb her sleep.  
  
"Master?" she whispered softly, after a moment or two.  
  
"Amidala," Vader said. He pulled her close to him again, and she rested against his chest again. "Are you alright?"  
  
Amidala was quiet at first, most likely surprised - and a little touched - that he had woken her up simply to ask if she was okay.  
  
"Yes," she answered, not being entirely honest.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"I had a bad dream, that's all," Amidala admitted, after hesitating again.  
  
"They happen," Vader said, gently stroking her cheek once or twice.  
  
"Master?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
Amidala was quiet once again, for a few seconds this time. Then she softly said, "Nothing."  
  
Vader touched her cheek again. "Tell me."  
  
It was a soft command, not a question, and Amidala already knew well that there was no use lying to him. She herself was already starting to learn how to sense lies; her master had started teaching her that a couple of days ago.  
  
Finally, she asked, "How did you become a Sith?"  
  
Vader realized that this was basically the same as the question she'd asked him the other day - "Why did you leave the Jedi Order?". He wasn't mad, though. He could tell her at least some of it, since she was curious enough to try and ask him about it again.  
  
"You're not very tired now, are you?" he asked her.  
  
"No, Master," Amidala said. She sat up, but still remained close to him, and he put his arm around her shoulders.  
  
"I told you it was a long story," Vader replied, "but I'll tell you some of it now, since you want to know." 


	22. Sharing Stories: Part 2

Thoughts are inside { } marks, since I can't get the HTML codes for italicizing to work when I upload the story.  
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
Nine-year-old Anakin Skywalker had amazed Obi-Wan Kenobi and his master, Qui-Gon Jinn, after winning the pod race. Not only had he been able to get them parts for their broken-down ship, Qui-Gon had been able to free him. Days later, when Qui-Gon was killed by a Sith Lord, Obi-Wan granted his final request, and took Anakin as his apprentice.  
  
Right away, Anakin had already gotten the feeling that Obi-Wan didn't particurlarly like him, or would always hold at least a small grudge against him. He knew that Obi-Wan hadn't been enthusiastic about rescuing him from Tattooine, and it seemed that none of the other Jedi were, either. The Younglings avoided him, and the other Padawans around his age ignored him as well. Going to talk to Yoda and Mace Windu was not pleasant, either. Despite how polite they pretended to be, Anakin knew that they constantly thought he was dangerous, that he wouldn't be to succeed as a Jedi, that he would take out a blaster at any moment and try to shoot everyone.  
  
Obi-Wan wasn't much help. For the first few weeks, he barely talked to Anakin, except when they were training, and it took even longer for him to loosen up more. Anakin had witnessed the close, father-and-son kind of relationship that Obi-Wan had had with Qui-Gon. He wanted that. He had never had a father, and now, his new Jedi Master seemed to be silently hating him.  
  
Anakin missed Qui-Gon. He had been the only person who believed in him, who knew he was going to try his best and that he would not fail.  
  
But other than Qui-Gon, Anakin began to think that most of his fellow Jedi were hypocrits, even liars, as much as he didn't like to be so mentally hateful of them. They taught about being kind, chivalrous, caring, and defending peace throughout the galaxy - yet they looked down on him, and some other newcomer Padawans as well.  
  
Anakin decided, within the first six months of his training, that he was going to be different. He would be like Qui-Gon had been; genuinely caring for other beings and wanting to help them, not becoming obsessed with his own Jedi Master status after he'd gone through the trials.  
  
Anakin was almost seventeen when he first met Chancellor Palpatine. He and Obi-Wan had been assigned to protect him for a few days, because of a few threats from bounty hunters.   
  
Whenever Obi-Wan was not around, Palpatine spoke with Anakin, telling him how he had great potential, and would probably be even more powerful than Yoda or Mace Windu one day. The comments always brought surprising courage and renewed strength to Anakin. Palpatine also enlightened him on how the Jedi were not what they once were, and were becoming foolish and arrogant, slowly losing sight of all of the peace-keeping values that they'd once stood for.  
  
In addition to that, Palpatine would listen intently whenever Anakin told him how he'd been discovered by the Jedi, how his mother was still stuck on Tattooine and was a slave, and how he needed to go back and rescue her, but Obi-Wan and the rest of the Jedi would not allow him to do so.  
  
After the assignment was over and Obi-Wan and Anakin left, Palpatine still made time to see Anakin from time to time and talk to him. Anakin appreciated it.  
  
Only a couple of weeks before Anakin's nineteenth birthday, he could not stand it anymore. He had to go to Tattooine and free his mother. He had been having nightmares about her lately.  
  
He left the Jedi Temple one evening - the very evening of his nineteenth birthday - without anyone really noticing or thinking that it was strange. The first person he went to was Palpatine, who seemed to understand his situation completely. He gave Anakin enough money to take a transport to Tattooine, and said that when Obi-Wan came looking for him, he would pretend to have no idea where Anakin had gone.  
  
-----  
  
Vader paused here, although he didn't look sad or angry at all. Still, Amidala got the impression that he didn't want to talk very much about how his mother had died. She was surprised that he had gone into so much detail already, and touched that he was opening up to her.  
  
"When did you join Palpatine, Master?" she asked, mostly so that he could skip the explanation of whatever had happened to his mother.  
  
"After I returned to Coruscant," said Vader, "The Jedi were extremely angry with me, as you can imagine. I had a fight - a verbal argument, I mean; not a battle - with Obi-Wan. He told me that I was going to be thrown out of the Jedi Order, but I didn't care. I had expected that to happen, anyway. I went ahead and left the Temple, instead of going to the Council room and listening to them bitch at me before throwing me out."  
  
"Where did you go when you left?" asked Amidala.  
  
"To Palpatine. It was then that he revealed everything to me - that he was a Sith Lord called Darth Sidious, and that I could join him," Vader replied. "I accepted. I wanted to join him; he didn't trick me into it. But even when I first joined him, I knew that he was insane, and that he thought he would be able to deceive me whenever needed."  
  
"And you helped him kill all of the Jedi?"  
  
"Yes. But after that, I still knew I was not going to be his servant for years and years. At first, he had seemed wise, and most of his ideas had sounded intelligent to me. But then, I realized how insane he was. He told me how we would have complete power with our new Empire - and whenever he said 'we', I knew he really meant 'him'. As I said, I was not going to waste years being his servant."  
  
Amidala nodded. "When did you finally kill him?"  
  
"Only a few days before I met you," answered Vader. He paused. "I have told you how I became a Sith. Now I want you to tell me something."  
  
"What, Master?" Amidala asked softly, leaning against him. His arm was still around her shoulders.  
  
"Anything," answered Vader.  
  
Amidala thought for a moment, then said, "Do you know that I was almost Naboo's queen, instead of Sola?"  
  
"No," Vader said. "Tell me about that." 


	23. Sharing Stories: Part 3

Thoughts are inside { } marks, since I can't get the HTML codes for italicizing to work when I upload the story.  
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
Fourteen-year-old Padmé and eighteen-year-old Sola surprised everyone - including their parents, of course - when both of them wanted to run for queen. Other than them, there were two other candidates, but they both dropped out as soon as they heard that Sola and Padmé were entering. With all of the hype about two sisters running against each other, no one would pay much attention to their campaigns.  
  
Jobal and Ruwee didn't agree with it, but they didn't want to stop their two daughters, either, since both of them really wanted to run. To be fair to both of the girls, though, they decided that one of them would vote for Padmé, and the other would vote for Sola. They never told the girls who voted for who.  
  
Padmé wondered if running against Sola was partly because of some subconcious sibling rivalry, but she assured herself that it wasn't. She wanted to be queen. She thought she had some good ideas for Naboo. Besides, she'd already felt lonely and left out before either of them had the idea to run for queen.  
  
-----  
  
"And you lost the election?" Vader asked.  
  
"Not at first, Master," answered Amidala. "When all of the votes were first counted, it turned out that I had exactly four more votes than Sola. After voting is closed, all of the votes are always counted twice in order to make sure that they're correct. That was where Dorrien came in."  
  
"Dorrien?"  
  
"Dorrien was a Twi'lek that Sola was dating around this time. Dorrien's father was one of the people in charge of counting all the votes. His father was sick, however, so he took over his job."  
  
"Is that allowed, if he's involved with one of the candidates?" asked Vader.   
  
"No, it's not," said Amidala. "But Dorrien and Sola were dating sort of secretly at the time. My parents didn't know they were dating, and neither did I. Anyway, as you can guess, Dorrien...'miscounted' a few of the votes, and in the end, it was announced that Sola had beaten me by five votes."  
  
"I can imagine how angry that must have made you," said Vader.  
  
"It did, Master," Amidala agreed.  
  
"How did you find out what Dorrien did?"  
  
"I didn't find out until a month after the election, when Sola finally introduced Dorrien to my parents and I - only she said that they had just started dating, when they'd actually been together for several months," Amidala continued. "One of the other vote counters, who had been working with Dorrien, was a Zabrak named Mekari. Mekari started dating my cousin, Trysta, shortly before Sola introduced Dorrien to my parents and I."  
  
"Mekari told you?" Vader guessed.  
  
Amidala nodded. "Yes, Master. There was a party held at the palace on Sola's first night as queen. Trysta came, and she introduced me to Mekari. Trysta left us alone for a moment so that she could go say hello to my parents. I saw Dorrien standing several feet away, and I causually pointed him out to Mekari, saying he was my new boyfriend. It was then that Mekari told me everything - how Dorrien had been one of the vote counters, what the original vote count had been...he even knew, somehow, that Sola and Dorrien had actually been dating for a while, not just the past month...and then it hit both of us that he had 'miscounted' the votes."  
  
"Did you ever tell your parents?" asked Vader. "Or anyone?"  
  
"No," said Amidala. "By that time - even though it had only been a month or two since the election - I was glad that I hadn't won. Seeing the whole royalty and wealth scene; I was glad I hadn't gotten involved in it. And besides that, Mekari and I told Trysta what we believed Dorrien had done. Trysta and Mekari advised me, though, that we not say a word to anyone. We agreed to keep it between the three of us. Mekari pointed out that it would be very difficult for us to prove that Dorrien had done anything wrong, and we also couldn't prove that he and Sola had already been dating back when the vote-counting was taking place."  
  
Vader nodded. "They were right."  
  
"I don't think that my parents would have believed me, anyway," Amidala said, with a faint trace of sadness in her voice.  
  
By now, it was early morning. The sun would start to rise in a couple of hours. Amidala had enjoyed talking to her master-and-husband like this, and since she had told him the story of how she'd almost been Naboo's queen, she felt like some stress had now disappeared from her. Silently, she wondered if her master had also felt relieved after telling her his story about how he'd become a Sith.  
  
Vader pulled Amidala close and kissed the top of her head, without saying anything. She rested against his chest, and wasn't sure how long it was before she fell asleep again. 


	24. Twins

Thoughts are inside { } marks, since I can't get the HTML codes for italicizing to work when I upload the story.  
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
The next two or three weeks seemed to pass quickly. Amidala and Darth Vader did more training. Vader was impressed with his apprentice. Within the next few months, she could even be ready to learn how to work with a lightsaber. He had silenty decided to be a little more careful with her, though, because he had suddenly sensed that she was pregnant.  
  
Vader doubted that Amidala herself knew yet. She hadn't said anything, and if she did know, she would be acting more nervous and sadly quiet around him than she usually did, wondering how she was going to tell him. And as for himself, Vader was not happy about it, nor mad. He didn't really feel anything. He had never imagined being a father before.  
  
But he knew that his and Amidala's child would be very strong. Having one might not be so bad. Amidala's training was progressing well; she could have a few months off to have the baby. And in the future, they wouldn't have to go looking for an apprentice to train.  
  
Although Vader still had memories of Shmi - the less painful ones that he didn't push away - he had left her when he was only nine years old. He couldn't get a lot of parenting instructions just from those memories.  
  
Then again, Amidala would probably know what to do. Since she'd become his apprentice, her shy, Padmé-like ways were slowly starting to fade - but only towards others. Towards Vader, she was still had her soft, sweet quietness, and she would certainly be that way with their child.  
  
For now, Vader decided to wait until Amidala realized she was pregnant, and let her tell him herself. Then, he could tell her the other half of the news.  
  
-----  
  
The time came only a few days later. It was evening, and Amidala had just taken a shower and dried her hair, in her room's bathroom. When she came out, she wasn't completely surprised to see Vader in her bedroom. Lately, he had started sleeping in her room on some nights, or she'd go and stay in his.  
  
Vader could tell that Amidala knew she was pregnant now. She was a little pale, and looked as if she had probably been crying while she was in the shower. She looked at her master for a moment, then seemed as if she didn't want to look at him at all.  
  
"Is something wrong, Amidala?" Vader asked.  
  
"No, Master," Amidala lied, though she knew it was useless.  
  
"Come here."  
  
Amidala hesitated, but went over to the bed and sat down next to him. She thought that he might hit her or something, but he didn't.  
  
"What is it?" he asked.  
  
Amidala was quiet at first, but she knew better than to lie to him again. Somehow, she managed to quietly say, "I think I'm pregnant."  
  
"I know you are," said Vader.  
  
"You do...I mean, how, Master?" Amidala asked.  
  
"Close your eyes."  
  
Amidala did so. Vader took each of her hands and placed them on her stomach, keeping his hands over hers.  
  
"Focus," he said.  
  
Amidala nodded briefly, with her eyes still closed. She still wasn't perfect at sensing other Force-strong beings all the time; she had to focus and reach out for them. Soon, though, she'd be much more open and sensitive to them, and would sense them whenever they were close enough.  
  
Amidala sensed Vader, and the baby, too, but something was odd about the baby. It seemed like it was in two parts or something, with more than one presence coming from it. But that wasn't possible. Perhaps she wasn't doing it right. Or, even worse, what if something was wrong with the baby?  
  
"Master..." she said softly, "is it okay?"  
  
"They are fine," answered Vader. "You are having twins."  
  
Amidala opened her eyes and finally managed to look at him. For a second, she almost had the courage to suddenly hug him tightly, just out of happiness. But that quickly disappeared, and her worry returned. She wondered if he wanted the babies or not.  
  
"What...what are we going to do, Master?" she asked softly.  
  
"We are going to have children, Amidala," answered Vader. His tone wasn't happy or sweet at all, but he wasn't lying to her. Amidala found enough courage to give him a small smile. 


	25. News

Thoughts are inside { } marks, since I can't get the HTML codes for italicizing to work when I upload the story.  
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
They stayed in Amidala's bedroom that night. Amidala fell asleep quickly. She seemed relieved that Darth Vader wanted to have the twins, and at the same time, nervous about being a mother. Vader reached under the covers and touched her abdomen, gently enough so that she wouldn't wake up.  
  
Since their wedding, he'd started thinking of her more as his wife, not just his apprentice, though he never said so to her. He didn't have any nicknames for her or anything like that. That was one reason while she still had no idea that he loved her. Now, though, she was probably getting a faint hint, since he had told her that they were going to have the babies.  
  
-----  
  
Vader told Amidala that they weren't going to do anymore physical training for a while, since she was pregnant. She could still practice a lot of mental exercises, though, and she did so every afternoon or evening.  
  
Amidala asked her master if he knew whether the twins were boys or girls. He said he didn't know. Amidala silently guessed that they were girls. She wasn't worried. She doubted that it would make a difference to Vader if they were boys or girls - if it did, he probably never would have chosen a girl to be his apprentice.  
  
-----  
  
For the next few weeks, Amidala and Vader seemed to become closer, though Amidala didn't actually ask her master if he felt that way, and he never revealed anything to her about how much he might care for her or love her.  
  
They went out several times, even when they weren't tracking some low-life spy or agent. Other nights, Amidala cooked for the two of them, as she'd been doing since they were married; cooking was one of the things she was good at.  
  
They didn't discuss any possible names for the babies just yet. Amidala told Vader she had guessed that the babies were girls. He didn't seem to agree or disagree with her. He wasn't in any hurry to know; he was content with waiting several more months until they were born.  
  
One day, while they were at a café in one of the nearby towns - the same town they'd gotten married in - Amidala noticed that one or two tabloids and periodicals had finally found out that Queen Sola of Naboo's younger sister was Darth Vader's new wife. They called her Padmé Naberrie in the articles, though, since they didn't know that she was Amidala now.  
  
Amidala pointed it out to Vader, but he wasn't bothered by it. None of the articles had any pictures of them, though. Vader softly told his apprentice that photographers "knew better" than to stalk him or print any pictures of him. Amidala nodded, but didn't ask what exactly "knew better" meant. She didn't mind. She couldn't complain about having no photographers bothering them.  
  
Briefly, Amidala imagined how her parents - and Sola - would react when they read one of those articles. As mean as it was, she laughed.   
  
Vader had been reading her mind.  
  
"If anything," he told her, "being my new wife should at least make your parents want to give you as much attention as they give Sola."  
  
It took a second for Amidala to realize that he was actually being humorous, and in a dark way, which didn't even bother her very much now. She laughed again.  
  
==========  
  
Author's Note:  
  
I'm sorry if the updates are a little slower than they used to be. It's only because I have three current stories right now (Princess, With You, and this one), and I'm starting another one. I try to get all of them updated at least once a week. Anyway, just letting you guys know that I'm NOT getting bored or tired of my stories or anything.  
  
- DravenStar 


	26. A Present

Thoughts are inside { } marks, since I can't get the HTML codes for italicizing to work when I upload the story.  
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
Jobal's face looked a little pale when she entered Queen Sola's private quarters, carrying three or four magazines.  
  
For the past couple of days, Jobal and Ruwee had been staying at the palace while visiting Sola. Not that Sola wasn't welcome to come visit them at home; it was just that if she did, several of her guards and handmaidens would have to accompany her. Having her parents coming to the palace instead was much more convenient.  
  
"What's wrong, Mom?" Sola asked, seeing the expression on her mother's face. She was sitting on a comfortable, small red sofa. Across from her, Ruwee sat on an identical sofa.  
  
"Look inside this, at the first page," said Jobal, handing one of the magazines to Sola. She sat down next to Ruwee.  
  
Sola opened the magazine, immediately spotting the article that was bothering Jobal. It announced that Darth Vader had a new wife, Padmé Naberrie, the younger sister of Naboo's Queen Sola.  
  
"Mom, this is just a stupid tabloid," she said, even though she knew that the words weren't comforting at all, not even to herself.  
  
Jobal shook her head. "That's a tabloid, but even the genuine, more official magazines have articles on it, too."  
  
"Yes," said Ruwee, who had taken one of the other magazines that Jobal was still holding. He held it up to Sola. "See?"  
  
"None of them have any pictures, though," added Jobal.  
  
Sola nodded. "News photographers never take any pictures of Vader, or any of the other bad guys. They won't even take pictures of their guards. They prefer to avoid getting into any trouble with them."  
  
"At least we know that Padmé is okay," said Ruwee.  
  
"Okay?!" Jobal snapped. "She's married to Darth freaking Vader!"  
  
"Well, we know that she's alive," Ruwee tried again.  
  
"Yes," Sola agreed. "Mom, aren't you glad that we at least know something now?"  
  
Jobal was silent for a second, but didn't calm down completely. "He must have forced her to marry him..."  
  
"I doubt it," Sola said. She knew it wasn't a good thing to say, but she had to be honest. She pointed to the open magazine in her lap. "It says here that the other day, while they were out, they were holding hands and she laughed several times..."  
  
"Out where?" Ruwee asked.  
  
"It doesn't say," answered Sola. "The articles never say the locations, either, along with not publishing any photos of...these kind of people...like I said."  
  
Ruwee nodded, glancing down at the magazine that he was still holding. "This one says pretty much the same thing - that Padmé and...him...were out a couple of days ago, and she looked very happy."  
  
"Stop," said Jobal.  
  
"Mom, it is true," Sola said softly. "You can't pretend that she's depressed and suffering."  
  
"Maybe," Jobal persisted, "Vader threatens her and tells her to act as if she's happy whenever they go out, and..."  
  
"Dear," Ruwee said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "I don't know. We don't know, okay? But she might be genuinely happy. We'll just keep up with the magazines and see what we read next. That's all we can do."  
  
-----  
  
Ruwee didn't know that he was right. Amidala really was becoming very happy, and now, she was hardly her old self - Padmé - at all. In fact, even though it probably hadn't been six months since Vader had discovered her, it felt like it had been a few years. Her old life, and almost everyone that she'd known in it, seemed so far away. In fact, it didn't even bother her that her old life seemed far away. It didn't make her melancholy or the least bit homesick anymore.  
  
That evening, after taking a shower, Amidala looked at herself in her bedroom mirror, with a towel wrapped around her. Her pregnancy wasn't showing yet. She had tried not to get too excited about what to name the babies, especially since she didn't know for sure if they were girls, but a few possible names came to her mind sometimes. Despite how much she had change, she still hadn't developed the patience that Vader had.  
  
Smiling, she went to her closet and picked out a knee-length black skirt and a sleeveless grey shirt. For now, she was trying to take advantage of being able to wear shorter, simple skirts and dresses, before she got bigger and wouldn't be able to wear any of them for a while.  
  
Amidala and Vader were going out tonight. She went into the bathroom and put on some simple make-up - mostly just a little silvery eyeshadow, to match her grey shirt - and tied her hair back into a single braid.  
  
When she came out of the bathroom, Vader was standing in her room. Amidala looked at him for a moment, then carefully moved closer and hugged him. It was actually the first time that she'd ever dared to hug him on her own, without him approaching her first.  
  
For a second, Vader didn't respond, and Amidala shivered and tried to back away from him. But then he slid his arms around her waist, stopping her.  
  
"Are you ready?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, Master," Amidala answered softly.  
  
Vader touched her cheek, then reached down and slid his hand between him and her, touching her abdomen. "When we get back, I have something for you."  
  
Still having a little courage, Amidala smiled and asked, "What is it?"  
  
"I'm not going to tell you...Ami," said Vader. Amidala nodded slowly, realizing that it was the first time he'd given her any kind of nickname. Just calling her "Ami", like that, was like a present to her. 


	27. Another Present

Thoughts are inside { } marks, since I can't get the HTML codes for italicizing to work when I upload the story.  
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
The "something" that Darth Vader had for Amidala was a ring. It was silver, with some kind of red, circle-shaped jewel. The jewel was real, as well as the silver. Surprisingly, this ring had once belonged to Shmi Skywalker. Her mother had given it to her, her grandmother had given it to her mother, and her great-grandfather had proposed to her great-grandmother with it.  
  
The ring had probably been the most valuable item in Anakin and Shmi's home. Shmi could have sold it and made enough money to buy a new speeder, or something else they needed, but of course, she never would sell it. On the day that Anakin left with Qui-Gon Jinn, Shmi gave him the ring. She had told him before about how it had been passed down through their family. Shmi knew that Anakin was going to become a Jedi and that Jedi usually didn't marry, but it was her last chance to give Anakin the ring, and she'd still wanted him to have it.  
  
Vader pushed away that memory of leaving Shmi behind. He and Amidala were in his room, sitting in front of the fireplace. He gently pulled her closer and held her for a minute, before saying anything.  
  
He gently took one of her hands and slid the ring onto her finger. Amidala was quiet at first, not sure what to say. She stared at the ring for a moment, then looked at her master.  
  
"I never gave you a ring when I asked - told you, actually - to marry me," Vader said.  
  
"It's beautiful, Master," Amidala replied softly.  
  
"It once belonged to my mother," Vader told her. He didn't go into the story of how it had been passed down through the Skywalker family. "It reminds me of you every time I look at it."  
  
Amidala nodded, touched, and not sure what to say. She noticed again that Vader didn't say very much about his mother.  
  
"Thank you, Master," she finally whispered.  
  
Vader was quiet for a moment, then asked, "Are you still afraid?"  
  
"Of what, Master?"  
  
"Anything. Tell me."  
  
Amidala thought for a moment, then nodded silently.  
  
"Tell me," Vader said again.  
  
Amidala hesitated again, but then answered, "I'm scared that I'll fail you, or that I already am."  
  
"Why do you say that?"  
  
"Because I'm afraid, and Sith are supposed to be fearless, aren't they?"  
  
Vader didn't really answer that question. "There's something else that scares you even more than failing me. What is it?"  
  
Amidala hesitated once more, and realized that she was starting to tremble a little. She had to tell Vader, though. She felt more nervous about this than she had when she'd told him that she was pregnant.  
  
"I'm afraid that you don't love me," she said, avoiding his eyes, "and that maybe you never will."  
  
Vader studied her for a moment, then reached down and gave her a brief kiss, and said, "When I told you to marry me, I said that there was a reason why we found each other again, after we first met on Coruscant all those years ago."  
  
Amidala nodded, somewhat nervously.  
  
"Marriage doesn't have very much to do with the Sith Order, does it?"  
  
"No, Master," answered Amidala.  
  
"I told you to marry me because I love you."  
  
Amidala's eyes looked a little wet now, and Vader could tell that she was trying her best to not pour out tears like a bad soap opera actress. "I love you, too, Master."  
  
Vader kissed the top of her head. "You don't have to call me 'Master' anymore, Ami. You can call me by my name."  
  
Amidala nodded, then corrected herself. "I love you, Vader." 


	28. Another Strange Dream

Thoughts are inside { } marks, since I can't get the HTML codes for italicizing to work when I upload the story.  
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
Amidala dried her eyes; they were still a little wet from when she'd heard Darth Vader tell her that he loved her.  
  
They didn't stay up for very long, since Amidala felt tired. They stayed in Vader's bedroom. Almost as soon as she was under the blankets, resting in Vader's arms, Amidala closed her eyes and fell asleep. And as soon as her dream began, she didn't like it.  
  
The first bad thing was that she was alone. Well, not really. She was in one of Naboo's plazas, near the palace. It was a sunny, warm day, and several other citizens were out, walking around and laughing and having fun. But Vader wasn't there. Sighing, Amidala sat down on a bench to wait for him.  
  
Almost immediately, someone came, but it wasn't Vader. It was Padmé.  
  
Amidala didn't even recognize her old self at first, and when she did, she wasn't very surprised. They both looked so different. Amidala was wearing her black Sith cloak, the one that Vader had given her, with black clothing underneath and black boots. Her eyeliner was black, with some dark grey eyeshadow.  
  
Padmé, however, was wearing a soft yellow dress. She was carrying her white sandals in one hand. The paved cement of the plaza wasn't too hot, but warm, and she liked to feel it against her bare feet. Her hair was tied back in a single braid, and her make-up was simply a light coating of goldish eyeshadow, which went well with her dress.  
  
"Go away," said Amidala.  
  
Padmé said nothing.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
Padmé still said nothing.  
  
Amidala sighed. "Fine. I'm going to wait for Vader. Sit here if you want."  
  
Padmé finally looked at her and spoke. "I'm going to wait for Anakin."  
  
This time, it was Amidala who didn't reply.  
  
"You can't get rid of me," Padmé said softly.  
  
"I already have. Vader's gotten rid of...Anakin..."  
  
Padmé smiled, but the smile was more sad than sassy. "You can't say that without hesitating, can you?"  
  
"What?" asked Amidala.  
  
"Anakin."  
  
"Anakin," said Amidala, though she had to admit that she said it more softly than she'd meant to. She added, "Whatever. You're not me. I'm dreaming."  
  
Padmé shrugged. "I'm who you used to be. Maybe I'm here because I'm the part of you that you've forgotten."  
  
"Shut up. I wanted to change. I am who I am now, and I love Vader."  
  
Padmé nodded. "And you love Anakin, too."  
  
-----  
  
Amidala didn't get a chance to reply to herself - Padmé. She opened her eyes. Some animal, outside in the woods, was howling. It had awakened Vader, too. Amidala glanced at him and kissed his hand.  
  
"I love you," she said softly.  
  
Vader pulled her up a bit, so that her face was closer to his. He kissed her, then asked, "Are you alright?"  
  
Amidala nodded. "I just had a strange dream. I'm fine." 


	29. Finally

-- Author's Note: This chapter happens several months after the previous one ended, as you'll see when you read it.  
  
And, for anyone who was reading my Black Rose story (or Black Rose 2)...I deleted both of them, since they sucked and weren't written well at all. I'm probably going to re-write a much better version.  
  
:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
When Amidala opened her eyes, it took her a few seconds to realize where she was, and remember how and why she'd come here.  
  
The small room in the hospital had white walls, and seemed too bright. It almost gave Amidala a headache. She was laying in the hospital bed. At first, she thought she was alone, but then looked to her left and saw that Darth Vader was standing there. She was relieved; she felt as if she had been asleep for months and hadn't seen him at all. She was too exhausted to give him more than a small smile, and didn't try to sit up.  
  
Vader came closer to the bed. He reached down and gently brushed a few strands of hair out of Amidala's face, and softly stroked her cheek.  
  
"What happened?" Amidala asked. "Why are we here? Is everything alright?"  
  
Vader nodded patiently. "You and I were standing outside, on the balcony, this morning. You wanted to watch the sun rise."  
  
Amidala didn't seem to catch on, so he added, "And your water broke, so I brought you here."  
  
"Oh," said Amidala. "Is it still morning?"  
  
"No. It's dark outside."  
  
"Where are the babies?"  
  
"I just took them home," Vader answered, "and came here to get you."  
  
"Are they girls or boys?" asked Amidala.  
  
"I'll let you be surprised."  
  
-----  
  
Amidala and Vader hadn't prepared a whole room for the twins yet, since they wanted to keep them nearby. They had bought a black crib and put it in the corner of Vader's room, along with the other items they'd gotten for the babies. They had decided on Vader's room because it had the fireplace, and would be warmer during cold weather.  
  
Both of the babies were sleeping when Amidala and Vader entered the room. If Amidala wasn't still a little tired from whatever tranquilizers she'd been given at the hospital, she would have excitedly run over to the crib.  
  
"Oh..." she said softly, letting her voice trail off. Each of the babies had a little bit of hair already. One was blonde, like Vader, and the other was dark brown, like Amidala.  
  
Just then, the blonde baby opened its eyes - which Amidala now saw were blue - and started crying.  
  
"She looks just like you," Amidala said to Vader, picking up the blonde baby. She kissed held it close. "It's okay, sweetheart. I'm home now."  
  
"He," Vader corrected.  
  
Amidala looked at him, smiling. "They're boys?"  
  
"He is," said Vader. He gently took the other baby, the brown-haired one, out of the crib. The baby continued sleeping. "And she is a girl."  
  
Amidala, touched at the sight of Vader holding their daughter, was surprised that she hadn't started crying yet. "She looks like me. Does she have brown eyes?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Who was born first? I don't think I saw which one. Damn tranquilizers."  
  
"The boy," answered Vader. "He's four minutes older."  
  
Amidala nodded, smiling again. "What are we going to name them?" 


	30. Names

:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
Amidala and Vader slept for less than two hours before one of the babies started crying. It was the female twin. Amidala went over to the crib and picked her up, while Vader lit a fire in the fireplace. After only a minute or two, the male twin started crying as well.  
  
After Amidala changed both of the babies' diapers, the four of them sat on the floor, in front of the fire. Vader held the male twin, who fell asleep almost immediately. Amidala held the girl, who looked up at her mother for a few moments before closing her eyes.  
  
"Vader?" Amidala asked softly.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"We haven't thought of names for them yet."  
  
Vader looked down at his son, who was still peacefully sleeping in his arms, then glanced over at the door that led to the outside balcony. It was a clear, beautiful night; though probably a little too cold to take the twins outside.  
  
"Do you know the names of this planet's two moons?" he asked Amidala.  
  
Amidala nodded. "Luke and Leia. I like them."  
  
"So do I," said Vader.  
  
Amidala smiled, but the smile faded. She said, "Leia's middle name..."  
  
"What do you have in mind?"  
  
"Would it bother you if her middle name was Shmi? So she can be named after her grandmother?"  
  
Vader was silent at first, but answered, "No."  
  
"I'm sorry," Amidala said quietly.  
  
"I meant no, it doesn't bother me," Vader told her.  
  
"Oh." Amidala smiled again.  
  
"What about Luke? Do you want to name him after your father?" Vader asked, though he was half-joking. He already knew the answer.  
  
"No," Amidala replied. She paused. "What about your father? What's his name?"  
  
"I do not have a father."  
  
"Oh. You never knew him?"  
  
"No. I do not have one," answered Vader. He paused. "Do you remember when I told you about midi-chlorians?"  
  
Amidala nodded.  
  
"Midi-chlorians conceived me. That's how my mother became pregnant."  
  
Amidala nodded again. She silently realized that Obi-Wan was probably the closest thing to a father that Anakin had ever known, and Obi-Wan hadn't even been that nice to him at all, nor had he had any faith in his abilities. It disgusted Amidala. She didn't doubt, though, that Vader himself wouldn't be a good father.  
  
"What about Qui-Gon?" she suggested. "For Luke's middle name?"  
  
"I like that," said Vader.  
  
Amidala smiled. Just then, Luke opened his eyes and started crying. He was hungry. Amidala gently gave Leia to Vader, and Vader handed Luke to her. 


	31. A Talk

:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
"Leia! You're in my spot!" Amidala said as she entered Darth Vader's room, with Luke snuggled into her arms.  
  
Leia was curled up on her father's chest, starting to fall asleep. Carefully, Amidala sat down next to them, then stretched out a bit.  
  
"Is he alright?" Vader asked Amidala, looking at Luke.  
  
Amidala nodded. "He was just hungry. Leia will probably want to be fed in a few minutes. They always cry one after the other."  
  
"Give Luke to me, then," said Vader. Amidala gently handed Luke to him, and took Leia. Leia started crying right then, as her mother had predicted. Amidala smiled.  
  
-----  
  
That evening, while both of the twins slept in the crib, Amidala turned to Darth Vader.  
  
"Master?" she asked. Although he had told her a while ago that she could call him by his name now, she still called him "Master" often.  
  
"Yes?" Vader slid his arms around her waist, pulling her close. He realized that she was shivering a little. "What is wrong, my love?"  
  
Amidala hesitated before answering. "I want to...I just...think that my parents should..."  
  
"That they should what?"  
  
"...see the twins." Amidala avoided her husband's eyes. He still held onto her, which she was glad for, but she was scared.  
  
"Have you suddenly forgotten everything I have taught you?" Vader asked. It wasn't really a good question, he knew, but he was surprised by Amidala's request.  
  
"No! Of course not, Master," Amidala answered. She sighed, out of annoyance with herself. "I'm sorry. I know that a small part of me is still...Padmé...I shouldn't be letting it control me."  
  
Vader nodded. "And you know, Amidala, that it would not be very wise for us to go your parents."  
  
"They can't do anything to us, Master," Amidala replied. "We're powerful - especially you. I'm not as strong as you are yet, but there is definately no way that my parents would stand any chance against you."  
  
"That is exactly the point, Amidala. If it was...necessary, in a situation...for me or both of us to harm - or even kill your parents, for the twins' sake - would you still want to be in the same room with me after that?"  
  
"And that is the point, too. I know you wouldn't do that unless it was absolutely necessary." Amidala finally looked up at Vader's eyes, and shivered as she saw how...intense he was. He really would do anything for her or the babies.  
  
"I love you," she added softly, "and I love Luke and Leia. I'm sorry, Master. I don't know why I suggested this."  
  
"So you do not want to go, then?" Vader asked.  
  
Amidala shook her head. "No, I don't. I think I just felt very...proud for a moment."  
  
"Proud?"  
  
Amidala smiled. "I have a wonderful husband and two new babies. Sola doesn't, and my parents wouldn't have expected me to accomplish so much in about a year."  
  
Vader reached down and kissed the top of Amidala's head. "I love you. I am proud of you - I knew you would be a good apprentice. That is why I kidnapped you."  
  
Amidala laughed and hugged him tightly. "When we came we start training some more?"  
  
"In about a month. You just gave birth. I do not want you to stress your body."  
  
"Alright." Amidala was about to stand on her toes, to kiss Vader, but then Leia started crying. Smiling again, Amidala reached inside the crib and picked her up.  
  
Vader wrapped his arms around both of them, his two favorite girls in the entire galaxy - now that Shmi was dead. After a moment, he picked up Luke, who continued sleeping peacefully. 


	32. Vacation

:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
A couple of days later, it was Darth Vader's twenty-fourth birthday, meaning that Amidala had now been with him for almost a year. Her birthday would be a few days after his, and he already knew what he was going to give her.  
  
They awoke early that morning; both Leia and Luke started crying just before sunrise. After Amidala changed and fed them, they went back to sleep. She smiled and went back to the bed, snuggling next to Vader again.  
  
"Happy birthday," she said.  
  
"Thank you." Vader pulled her close and kissed her mouth.  
  
"My life has been so much better since you found me," Amidala replied, "even though I didn't realize it at first. I love you."  
  
"I love you, too, Angel."  
  
Amidala smiled again. "Is that a new pet name for me?"  
  
"Yes, I suppose it is," Vader answered. He kissed her again, then said, "I want to take you to Naboo."  
  
"Naboo? Why?"  
  
"Just to take you there, and the twins."  
  
Amidala was touched. "Where on Naboo? The lake retreat."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Thank you. I think the twins will like it," Amidala said. "Are you sure it is safe?"  
  
"I would not consider going there if it were not safe," said Vader.  
  
"Could we stay for my birthday, as well? It's only three days from today."  
  
"That is what I had in mind." Vader gently stroked Amidala's cheek. After a few quiet moments, he said, "I am very...proud of you, Amidala, although I do not say it."  
  
"Thank you, Master," said Amidala. 


	33. Decision

:: Dark Hearts ::  
  
Amidala thought that the twins liked Naboo, although they were both sleeping when the family - she smiled when she thought of those words; her family - arrived at the lake retreat.  
  
She remembered that there was a crib inside one of the bedrooms; one of her sister's favorite handmaidens had been pregnant last year, and Sola bought it for her in case she went into labor while they were staying here. When Amidala told Darth Vader this, he asked if there was a chance of anyone coming here.  
  
"No," Amidala answered. "She does not really like this retreat very much. She complains about it being too hot in the summer."  
  
She sighed. Her sister was a rich brat...but her sister did not have an incredible husband and two adorable new babies. Amidala did not ever dwell on that thought for very long, though, because she did not think of her husband and children as factors for competition with Sola.  
  
"And if anyone does come, we can deal with them," she said to Vader. "Can't we, Master?"  
  
"Yes, but understand that I will do whatever is necessary for you and the twins," he replied, sliding her arms around her waist and pulling her close.  
  
"I do understand, Master," answered Amidala, resting her face against his chest.  
  
----------  
  
That afternoon, while Vader was taking a shower, Amidala sat on the bed in the room they were staying in, playing with both of the twins. She suddenly wondered something. Were Luke and Leia going to be Sith, too? She had not given much thought to it, but now that she did, she assumed that Darth Vader would want to train them when they were old enough.  
  
Luke tried to grasp her thumb with one of his hands. Amidala smiled and moved her hand away a little, then let him win. Nearby, Leia tried to grab one of her brother's feet.  
  
Amidala knew that Vader would never intentionally hurt their children, but she remembered the past year of her own training, and so far, it had not always been easy. She did not doubt Luke and Leia's abilities, but part of her just wanted to raise their children as normal children - well, her babies were special, but she did not want them to spend the first several years of their lives in training.  
  
She heard Vader come out of the bathroom. He joined her and the twins on the bed.  
  
"I love you," Amidala said.  
  
He pulled her close and kissed her forehead. "I love you, too."  
  
Leia stared at them both. A baby version of a jealous scowl came onto her face.  
  
"Come here. You can have a kiss, too," Amidala said, picking her up. She kissed her cheek, then gently handed her to Vader and took Luke.  
  
"And so can you," she said, kissing the top of his head.  
  
"Master?" she asked, looking at him.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I was wondering if you plan to train either of the twins, when they are older."  
  
Vader saw the hint of worry in Amidala's eyes, and looked down at Leia, who was now comfortably snuggled into his arms. "Only if they are interested in it. It is their choice."  
  
Amidala smiled. "Thank you."  
  
----------  
  
That night, after Luke and Leia were asleep, Darth Vader and Amidala went outside to the porch that overlooked the lake. Amidala remembered the last time that she and her master had stood here on their previous visit to the retreat, and he had reached over and stroked her neck and shoulder.  
  
"Amidala?" Vader asked, sliding his arms around her waist.  
  
"Yes, Master?"  
  
"What do you want to be?"  
  
The question surprised Amidala. "I am going to be a Sith, aren't I?"  
  
"But is that what you want to be?" asked Vader.  
  
Amidala did not hesitate before answering, "I want to be your wife."  
  
"And you are."  
  
"Master, can I ask you a question?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"What are we going to do?" asked Amidala, looking out at the lake. "We are the only two Sith. What is our plan?"  
  
"What do you believe it is?" Vader replied.  
  
"I do not really know. When you found me and I learned that Sith order still exists, I assumed that they want to eventually take over the galaxy."  
  
"We will rule it, one day."  
  
"Will our empire be as the Empire is now?" Amidala asked, turning to face Vader. He kept one of his arms around her waist.  
  
"It will be however you and I decide, Amidala," Vader answered.  
  
"I cannot cause numbers of souls, whom I do not even know, to suffer or possibly die," Amidala said quietly.  
  
"Do you think that I ever took pleasure in doing or causing those things?" Vader asked her, not sounding angry.  
  
Amidala pressed against him and slid her arms around him. She gently rubbed his muscular back with one of her hands.  
  
"No, I suppose not," she said. "Are you saying that our new Empire does not have to be like that?"  
  
Vader held her in return. "No. It will not be that way at all, Angel."  
  
"What if we...in some cases...possibly helped people?" Amidala asked softly. She actually hoped it would be more than just "some" cases.  
  
Vader looked down, into her eyes. "As I said, my love, it is whatever you and I decide."  
  
Amidala smiled. "So I am finally going to be a queen after all."  
  
"Better than a queen," Vader replied. "An empress."  
  
"At the Emperor's side," Amidala added, resting her face against his chest. "With our little prince and princess."  
  
THE END   
  
====================  
  
Thank you to all who read this story, and thanks for the reviews!  
  
- DravenStar 


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